Rebuilding Appaloosa Plains
by hannahcf
Summary: From the town's first community lot to each household and unlocked rabbit hole, watch the drama unfold as I rebuild Appaloosa Plains in my attempt at the Build A City Challenge. (With screenshots on Sims Forums & Archive of Our Own.)
1. Prologue

The place was a ghost town. Despite its breath-taking locale, Appaloosa Plains had become a shadow of what it once was. The residents of the "sleepy ranching town" had drifted off, leaving behind shells of homes, crumbling remnants of Victorian architecture and empty streets.

The city tried to save its existence by offering a funding assistance program for repairs, but the program collapsed when it was discovered that nearly all the buildings were contaminated with asbestos, had unsafe lead piping, needed all-new roofs or their foundations completely redone. Historical building legislation delayed construction work to such an extent that people opted to sell their homes to the government at a loss so they could move away from the red tape and renovation nightmare that their neighborhood trapped in.

Now almost no residents were left and there was no city government to speak of. Appaloosa Plains was nothing more than a mess that needed to be cleaned up. Luckily, cleaning up messes was something Jada Walker did best.

She drove slowly along the empty, crumbling streets until she saw the drab Victorian manor she was looking for. Workers had already set up safety barriers and brought in the dumpsters. She looked up at the building: rotting wood, patchy shingles, peeling paint. By some miracle it seemed the majority of the windows were intact even though they hadn't been boarded up. Still, was this really the place the Governor saw potential in?

The work crew for the day pulled up in two trucks. One parked behind Jada's car in front of the property and its two occupants hopped out. They pulled two barriers out of the way so the other truck could pull into the driveway. Their supervisor stepped out of this second truck and walked up to Jada. "You must be Miss Walker," the older man said. "I'm Jim. Nice to meet you."

"You as well," Jada glanced over before returning her attention to the manor.

"Quite the project the Governor has in mind," Jim said. "Refurbishing this place alone within his two-year time frame won't be easy. Especially not when so many other workers will be tied up with demolition for the other buildings."

Jada sighed. "He does love his projects... Show me what we're dealing with."

"Keep unloading the truck and then start clearing up around the coach house so we can see what'll need to be done there," Jim called to his team.

"Will do, boss," one man replied.

"Is this really the place?" the other man asked his coworkers in a hushed voice. "It's a dump, to put it lightly."

"It must have good bones," the woman sighed. "Or at least I hope it does, since our tax dollars are going to be funding its repairs."

Jim unlocked the manor's front door. "After you," he smiled, stepping out of the way.

Jada pushed open the door and was not pleased with what she saw. What was likely once a beautiful foyer with arched entries into the main hallway and kitchen was practically a pile of rubble.

 _'What in Watcher's name have you gotten us into, Governor?'_ she thought.

"Don't worry," Jim chuckled. "This is the only wall that's this bad... I'm hoping most of the problems are aesthetic. There's plenty of water damage, rotting wood and peeling paint and wallpaper, but by some miracle there were no traces of asbestos in the entire place, and the piping is mostly copper."

Jada stepped over the rubble and through the archway into the kitchen. "I'm shocked all the glass is intact," she commented. "Even in the archways... Nice that the ones into the dining area match the kitchen entrance."

"A lot of original details like the archways match throughout the building," Jim replied. "And there's only a few panes that will need to be replaced, mostly on the second floor and in a few of the bedrooms."

"Some original - or at least old - furniture left around as well, I see," Jada said as she peered into the dining room.

"Yeah, several dining chairs and a couple china cabinets down here that just need to be sanded down and refinished. Speaking of which, floors seem in good shape under all the grime. A good sanding and refinishing should deal with most of the scratches and the water damaged or rotting pieces can be replaced as needed."

"There certainly are a few layers of grime," Jada said, the disgust evident in her voice as she surveyed the kitchen.

She was good at cleaning up messes... but it usually didn't entail cleaning up _literal_ filthy, grungy messes. Still, if overseeing this experiment in revitalization was what she needed to do to move up, she'd get the job done.

"We're going to take out this half-wall and replace those counters with a proper island with bar seating," Jim explained. "All new appliances, of course. But we do want to salvage as many of the antique wood furniture as we can."

Jada nodded.

"One bedroom on this floor?" she asked.

"Yeah," Jim said. "Through the dining room, we can get back to the main hall."

Jada proceeded though the dining room. "More stained glass in here. Hopefully these details make a difference," she sniffed.

"On the left there is a bathroom. Door on the right is the bedroom, which has a small ensuite. Was the matron of the boarding house's quarters back in the day."

"And this room here will be the sun room?" Jada asked, stepping into a small corner room. Two of its walls had multiple lead-framed windows.

"You got it," Jim said. "As you can see, the lead framing for the glass is loosing its integrity, so we're just going to tear all these windows out. Assuming the structure is sound enough to do so, we'll replace those two walls with floor-to-ceiling windows."

Jada nodded. "Well, let's see what we're dealing with upstairs."

Jim toured her around the second floor, which had a few bedrooms and bathrooms.

"This space will be used as a communal office or library type space for the tenants, since it has access to a large balcony that overlooks the backyard. Like I said, some broken glass on this floor but nothing too bad" Jim explained. "Hauling these metal bed frames and musty mattresses out of here will be fun, though," he added sarcastically.

"And the third floor is the last, correct? No attic?" Jada asked as she headed up the stairs again.

"Correct. There's a small access door and we'll just be filling the attic space with insulation. There's no space to stand up there, or even crouch, really. So we'll just use it to reduce the heating and cooling bills."

"Hm, kichenette up here is in even worse shape than the full kitchen downstairs," she sighed and looked around. "And another missing door."

"More stained glass in that bedroom, though," Jim replied. "We're going to see if we can save the original painted sink and cabinets in here, but we'll see how that goes. 'In bad shape' is probably an understatement."

Jada walked through the door frame into the bedroom. Jim was right - two stained glass windows in impeccable condition, they'd be a rare find in Bridgeport. To her right, she noticed a door. She glanced back at Jim.

He smiled. "Small balcony off this one."

Jada went over to the door. It took a bit of force, but she managed to push it open. She stepped out onto the balcony and Jim followed.

The harsh reality of what Appaloosa Plains had become was all the more striking from up here. The former glory of the ranches by the river struggled to show through their crumbling structures and broken fences. What they could see to the west was no better; collapsing roofs and crumbling walls were evident.

"All of those will be demo'ed," Jim said. "Riddled with asbestos and lead, not to mention their structural problems."

They stood in silence for a few moments.

"It is a bit sad, though," he added. "My parents used to take me here to watch the riding competitions as a kid. It was a cute little town."

Back on the ground, the workers were marveling at the sorry state of the street as well.

"How does it even get this bad?" the woman asked solemnly, to no one in particular.

One of the men walked towards the street to get a better look at some of the houses. The closest one's windows were mostly boarded up, and one of its corners had completely crumbled.

"Probably best people moved away, though," he said quietly. "It's a good thing no one was living in these homes when they started really falling apart, or people could have been really hurt."

"My ma said they started to run out of funding for services," the other man chimed in. "Once the services started to go, the employees who ran them started moving to work elsewhere. For a while that was fine, but people got tired of driving into Bridgeport for simple things, they were shopping locally less and less... you know the rest," he shrugged.

" _All_ these houses are slated for demo?" asked the woman, turning to him.

"And all the ones down there, towards the river," he replied. "And _all_ the buildings over there," he waved his hand lazily towards what was once downtown.

Their colleague nodded in agreement. "This is the only building that isn't contaminated."

"Rather than go through all the historical building paperwork for all of the others, they'll be photographed for local records and torn down. They passed a special bill to allow it, so it'll all be gone soon."


	2. Chapter 1: Community Garden

It was a strange sight, such an empty landscape save but one large Victorian manor house. Bridget Tevellyn was standing on the edge of her new property, looking out at what had once been the ranch town of Appaloosa Plains. This was only the second time she'd been here, and it was as empty as it had been on her first visit. On that trip, this view over the hills and to the river what sold her on signing the papers to buy the lot.

It had been all over the news - all of the struggling town's buildings except the old boarding house had been condemned and cleared away. In an experimental effort to revitalize the area, the regional government sunk millions into cleaning it up, repaving its roads and refurbishing its one remaining building. Since it was a boarding house, the Governor rationalized that it could provide temporary lodging for people who were interested in moving there. He sweetened Appaloosa's appeal by announcing new grant funding for building new community assets and businesses. The hope was that all this would be enough to fuel the town's rebirth.

For Bridget, the view represented unlimited opportunity. Appaloosa was a blank slate - not yet like the catty small towns she was used to and far from the bustle of a city.

But this visit wasn't about her new property, it was about another, just down the hill. Bridget walked along the freshly resurfaced sidewalk, taking in the views of her new home. If her mother could see how empty this town was, she might have a heart attack. Bridget couldn't help but laugh to herself at the thought. Her mother thrived in their small town, running community luncheons and collecting all the latest gossip about every neighbor and their cousin. She'd have no idea what to do with herself if there wasn't community center, café or diner to meet people and learn as much about them as possible. Bridget had never understood her mother's obsession with the lives of everyone else and it certainly fed into her desire to move away. Hopefully not all small town communities were so fixated on rumor and meddling in each other's lives – she'd hate to see Appaloosa Plains become precisely what she was trying to escape.

The contractors were already at work getting fence posts in place. As she approached the lot, her concerns about the town's future were washed away by her renewed excitement and optimism. It was one thing to submit a grant application, it was another to see her plan for a community garden coming to life right there in front of her.

She cheerfully called out to announce her presence. "Hello! Wow, already working hard!"

An older man turned. "You must be Bridget," he said with a smile. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Bridget beamed. "I can't believe this is really happening."

"Your plans are very straight-forward, we should have it all set up for you in no time," the man replied. "I'm Jim, by the way. I'll probably be heading-up most of the construction projects around here."

"Well, if you have the time, I did buy the property at the intersection just up the hill," Bridget's smile shrank to a more awkward, apologetic expression.

"When we're done for the day and my crew is cleaning up, why don't we walk up and you can let me know what you have in mind?" Jim said casually. "It's really just a fence and some garden beds we have to set up here, not much time or trouble at all. We could even be done tomorrow and be able to start on your place."

"Really?!" Bridget breathed a sigh of relief. "I'd forgotten to ask about help building my house, I was so focused on this garden and the property paperwork…"

Jim gave her a warm smile. "Not to worry," he said. "I expect we'll be doing a lot of building out here, so I haven't been accepting as many jobs elsewhere."

Reassured, Bridget didn't think much of Jim's accommodating attitude about Appaloosa Plains. Wasn't this a bit far to come if he could get work elsewhere? Perhaps the government was subsidizing work out here, so he'd be making more money by focusing on rebuilding the town. Whatever the reason, Bridget was just happy to get things going. She introduced herself to some of the crew members and offered to help.

"Maybe you could focus on the garden beds?" one man suggested. "Three of us is plenty for the fence. But you'll need more soil for the planters, so you can get started on that. Or marking where you want the edges of each raised bed to be."

Bridget nodded and got to work – she was even more motivated to help knowing that the sooner they finished the garden, the sooner they could start building a place for her to sleep.

* * *

After a long day, Bridget showed Jim where she wanted to build her cabin.

"Just a studio-style place for now," she explained. "A 3-piece bathroom in the back corner, kitchen next to that, and the larger area in the front for a bed, couch and some shelves."

Jim nodded and jotted down some notes as she walked him around. They took some measurements and decided on dimensions. He dropped her off at the boarding house before heading home himself.

* * *

The next day, they finished the garden as planned while Jim drew up some more detailed plans for Bridget's cabin. She wondered if usually an architect or certified electrician or plumber should normally look them over to approve them, but Jim seemed to know what he was doing. After all, he'd led the work on the boarding house and that couldn't have been easy.

Bridget accompanied the workers up to her property and Jim went over the plans with them that afternoon. They seemed to think they could get it done in just a couple weeks. Bridget would only be in town another couple of days; she'd return with her furniture when the cabin was ready. In the meantime, she would split her days between helping at the cabin and getting the community garden up and running.

* * *

She returned to a simple little cabin, surrounded by beautiful hydrangeas and purple heather. Tears welled in her eyes as she walked up to the door. It was unlocked. And it was _hers_.

A friend helped her unload the small moving truck she'd rented to get her bedroom set, table, chairs and kitchen supplies inside. They had to hurry so her friend could drive back and return the truck, so Bridget was soon alone, left to admire her new home.

Exhausted from the move and unpacking, it wasn't until the next day that Bridget returned to the community garden. She walked down the hill and was delighted to see how well all the plants were doing. The sunflowers and corn stalks had skyrocketed – now almost taller than the fence – and the fruit trees were nearly fully grown.

It was really happening. She was in a new town, with a new house, and had founded a community garden for all her soon-to-be new neighbors to enjoy. She couldn't wait to meet them.


	3. Chapter 2: Bridget's Cabin

Now the proud resident of the first single detached home built after the clear-out, Bridget didn't waste any time in setting up her own garden. Tending to the community garden supplied harvests to tide her over until her own plants were ready. It was tiring work and she often ended her day covered in dirt, but all things considered, things were going really well.

"Good morning," came a cheerful voice from behind her.

Startled, Bridget turned abruptly. A man wearing a postal service uniform was standing by her mailbox.

"Sorry," the man chuckled. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"That's alright," Bridget said, a bit embarrassed.

She walked over. Despite his glasses, she could tell he had a friendly warmth in his eyes.

"So far it's only you and the boarding house, you know," he smiled. His smile, too, seemed to radiate warmth. "I hope it's not too long before people start to settle in. My parents say this used to be a cute town before everyone moved away."

"I'm Bridget," she smiled back, and stuck out her hand.

He extended his own. "Altman," he replied.

"Do you live here, then?" Bridget asked.

"No," Altman said softly. "I live in the city, but my parents live outside of town, so I offered to deliver mail out here when needed."

"Oh," Bridget tried to hide her disappointment.

An awkward silence ensued until he asked, "Uh, so, what made you decide to move here?"

"It just seemed exciting, I guess," Bridget said quietly, still thinking about how to answer. "The town is a blank slate… it's all opportunity, you know?"

After a brief pause, she continued, "And my grant application to start the community garden was accepted… so that gave me an excuse to leave home."

"Yeah I know _that_ feeling," Altman said as he put a hand on the back of his neck. "I'm actually back to living with my parents right now."

Bridget smiled sympathetically.

"I was in business before this job," he continued.

"In business?"

He laughed awkwardly. "I mean I worked in an office," he explained. "But it didn't work out."

"Oh?" Bridget asked softly. "Why not?"

"I don't know," Altman said with a sigh. "I just wasn't cut out for it, I guess."

"Nothing wrong with that," Bridget replied. "I'm sure you'll find something you enjoy doing."

"Thanks," he said. "I do envy your certainty though. Moving here must have taken a lot of conviction."

Bridget shrugged. "Maybe my parents just aren't as easy to live with as yours," she smirked.

Altman laughed again, but this time it had a hearty, more genuine sound. He smiled brightly at Bridget.

"I should get going," he said. "But it was really great to meet you, Bridget. I'll see you around."

"Definitely," Bridget smiled back. "It was nice meeting you too, Altman."

* * *

In truth, Bridget wasn't sure she'd made the right choice in moving here. No one else had started building a house nor project with government grant money, and it was starting to feel lonely. She thought about going down to visit the boarding house, but she wasn't sure if anyone would be there and it was quite a far walk. Between her own garden and tending the community garden, she kept busy and often just wanted to head home and to bed. Maybe buying a plot of land large enough for a farm wasn't a good decision, after all. Maybe she should have started closer to the boarding house and where downtown would likely be. But she had no money left to change her mind, and knew she had made this decision for good reasons. It felt right... she just hoped it actually was.

The next time she saw Altman she was sure to get his number.

"You should come by sometime," Bridget told him. "Can be a bit lonely," she admitted awkwardly.

"I can imagine," he said. "I haven't seen any new building projects underway, either," he continued. "I've got more deliveries today, but I can come over tonight or tomorrow?"

"Any time is probably good," she said shyly. "One of the perks of this self-sufficient life I have, I guess. Make my own schedule."

She felt like she sounded incredibly awkward. She hadn't been nervous to talk to him; why was it so difficult? She hoped she didn't seem like a complete weirdo - a girl who moved to nowhere because she couldn't hold a normal conversation.

Altman, however, didn't think anything of the sort. He was relieved to see a bit more awkwardness from Bridget. She'd seemed incredibly confident when they first met - which, he had to admit, had made him quite taken by her. He couldn't imagine just picking up and moving to a brand new, blank slate of a town, never mind being so confident that it was the right thing for them. The awkwardness Bridget was now showing reassured him that he didn't need to be as nervous about her. It reminded him that no one really has things all figured out, and no one is confident all the time.

Little did Bridget know, Altman was struggling with his recent move into the Postal Service. He dreamed of being a CEO, but he'd gotten to a point where he felt he had to leave the office environment, and now he felt lost. He was attracted to Bridget's drive and her leap to follow her dreams in a new place, and he had been sure she'd have no interest in someone as lost as he felt. But maybe there was hope yet.

"Well, I have your number now," Altman replied. "I'll give you a call before I head over."

"You know where I live!" Bridget said. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_ , she thought.

Altman laughed a little and waved to her before she turned back towards her garden. He was happy – he might really have a shot – and with someone far more interesting than anyone he'd met in his crappy town. Would calling that night seem too eager?

* * *

Bridget was less awkward when Altman visited later that day. Maybe she was just off that morning, or maybe she was tired out from working outside all day. Whatever the reason, she was glad she was as calm and happy as she was. He was the first visitor she welcomed into her cabin, and she made a salad with fresh ingredients from her garden. Altman was impressed and commented several times on how good it was. At first she simply smiled and thanked him. Later she added that the fresh, homegrown ingredients made such a difference. Eventually she couldn't help but laugh.

"It's just salad," she said. "It can't be THAT amazing."

"Well, it's by far the best salad I've ever had," Altman said with a grin.

Bridget laughed a little and their eyes met. There was a short silence, then Altman said, "I'm having a really nice time. I'm glad I came over."

Bridget smiled and looked down at her plate. "Me too," she replied, fidgeting with her fork.

Altman felt a small sting of disappointment that she'd looked away. She had beautiful green eyes. In that instant, Altman's gut told him to be careful or he'd definitely fall for this girl. But the thought made him smile to himself – he was already falling for her – and his gut also told him that getting to know Bridget was worth the risk of heart break.

"You know, if you really like it, you're more than welcome to take some food from the community garden," Bridget said, still fixated on her fork. "That's why it was built, and I was sure to plant all these ingredients," she added, looking back up at him.

His smile grew when he could see her green eyes again, but faltered when he realized his reply might disappoint her.

"I haven't actually been down there yet," he admitted.

Far from disappointed, Bridget's face lit up and she practically jumped out of her chair. "Come on, then!" she said cheerfully.

Bridget took Altman's hand and led him out the door before he could object, but he didn't mind. As they walked down the hill, Bridget rambled on about the different plants and tools available for anyone to use. "It's pretty at night, too," she chirped. "There are a couple lanterns and nearby streetlights that create just enough light."

When they arrived, she showed him around and then they relaxed on a pretty bench on one side, where they had full view of the garden beds and fruit trees protected by the high wooden fence.

"It's really impressive," he said softly.

"I'm starting to think you're just easily impressed," she laughed. "But thank you."

"Really though," Altman said, turning to her. "It's impressive that you have such a strong passion and conviction that you could get this set up… and the courage to move here… I wish I had that kind of determination to follow my gut."

"No one is completely certain about what they should do," Bridget replied softly. "I've had my doubts about whether moving here was the right decision… I thought more people would be moving in, I guess."

"I'm glad you're here," Altman smiled. "The town has to start somewhere. I think it's incredible how you jumped on this opportunity, and I'm sure others will follow your lead."

"Thanks," Bridget blushed. "But you really are easily impressed."

"You're too modest," he said.

She smiled at him, then she looked back out at the garden. He was disappointed he'd lost sight of those green eyes again. But the disappointment didn't last long – she put her arm around him, gave him a squeeze, and put her hand on his arm.

* * *

It was the first of many nights Bridget and Altman spent together at the community garden. They saw a lot more of each other over the following days (and, happily, got a bit less awkward in their interactions). Since Bridget was so busy with her home garden – her only source of income – and making sure the community garden she'd built also survived, Altman would come into town to visit her in the evening after all his deliveries were done. It quickly became a habit for him to stay over.

He'd often wake up to find Bridget already out of bed. If he had the day off, he'd open the book he brought and relax in bed flipping through its pages. Bridget's cabin was small and studio-style; the bed was only a few feet from both the bathroom door and the fridge. Altman didn't mind, though. He wondered if his sense of comfort was because of the cabin's cozy feel, the fact that the bed was more comfortable than his own, or simply because Bridget was nearby.

Bridget typically started her mornings with a walk-through of the garden, watering the plants and seeing what else she would have to do that day to keep them happy. When she came back inside, she'd always kiss Altman good morning before jumping in the shower. Since neither of them knew how long she'd take with the plants, Altman eventually agreed to let himself relax until she came in. If he reached a good point in his book to stop reading, he'd start breakfast. As much as he'd try to have it ready before Bridget was out of the shower, she was so quick that he hadn't managed to yet. If Altman was in the middle of a particularly riveting part of his book, he would finish his section and then they would make breakfast together. He always insisted on at least helping with breakfast, to which Bridget would bristle that it wasn't necessary, but truly appreciated all the same.

"It's become quite the routine you have here," Bridget smiled brightly at him one morning.

"Might be even better if I lived here," he smiled back and returned to flipping pancakes.

"Practically already do," she teased, nudging his arm.

"I'm serious, Bridge," he laughed, paused, then added, "I want more time with you."

Bridget was quiet. He glanced over; she'd moved towards the end of the counter and looked lost in thought. He turned off the stove and turned to her.

"You okay?" he asked softly as he walked over.

"If either of us should move, it should be me," she said quietly. "I don't want to take you away from your job, your life… No one new has moved in here yet… it wouldn't make sense for you to move here."

"Hey, don't say that," Altman replied. "You're following a big dream here, it isn't time to give up yet. Look at what you've already built. You have a steady income, we have a routine," he smiled and touched her cheek gently. "I want to be here to support you in that."

She returned his gaze, but still seemed sad. "Have you really thought about this? What about your dreams to run a company?"

Altman laughed. "A technophobe CEO? In this day and age? I don't think I have much of a chance at that anymore. And I've come to terms with that, I think. I'm happier here than I am in the city."

"You're sure?"

"Bridget, if your hesitation is about something else, it's okay," Altman said. "Really, I wasn't planning on bringing this all up this morning, it's just been on my mind lately."

"No, no, I'd be happy to live with you," Bridget replied quickly. "I guess I just don't want you to move in and then regret it and resent me."

He smiled at her and caressed her cheek. "I won't," he said softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she smiled shyly, then perked up. "Next weekend, then?"

Altman laughed again. "Seriously?"

"Well, I mean, you're off next weekend, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "But I have to pack up and sell some things. Not to mention find a renter to take over my lease. Give me a couple weeks, okay?"

"No, this is an all or nothing deal," Bridget laughed. "Of course, Altman, take whatever time you need. I'm just joking around. But you really are welcome to move in anytime; It's not like I have much to set up."

* * *

Bridget visited Altman a few times over the next few weeks, but mainly used her free time to build a proper fence around her crops and install a new sprinkler system. It was all ready when Altman arrived to move in.

"Well haven't you been busy?" Altman smiled as he walked up to Bridget, who was adjusting the gate on the fence. "What's this?"

"My sorry excuse for a fence and gate," Bridget smiled and shook her head. "It'll keep the deer out, but hopefully it doesn't trap me in!"

"Looks like more than a fence," Altman mused.

Bridget put her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss. "It's a sprinkler system," she smiled. "So I don't have to get up so early to do the watering."

"Oh really?" Altman raised a hand and gently placed it on her cheek. "Want more time in bed with me, do you?"

She smirked. "Maybe," she answered coyly.

They kissed and their hands wandered until the sprinklers sputtered on and Altman jumped.

Bridget laughed. Altman was a bit embarrassed, but joined her.

"Could've warned me," he laughed.

"That the sprinklers were going to water the plants?" she asked, holding back more laughter.

Altman rolled his eyes, "So funny."

"I'm sorry," Bridget said. "And sorry I'm still smiling."

"It's okay," Altman was still smiling, too. "I can't help but smile when I'm with you, either."

Bridget rolled her eyes this time. "So cheesy," she groaned, but her smile stayed.

They stood there, smiling at each other. If Bridget had seen someone else doing this a year ago she would have scoffed in mild disgust (but she didn't think about that).

"The truth is, Altman, I really do smile a lot more with you around. And I'm really excited for you to move in," she said.

"You care so much about me and my goals... I've never met a more supportive person. We didn't meet that long ago but somehow I don't know what my life would be like without you, and I don't want to think about it," Bridget said. She started to get down on one knee.

"Bridget..?" Altman started, but trailed off.

"I know how much you love me and I want to make sure you know I love you just as much," she said, taking a ring box out of her pocket.

"I want to marry you," she added softly, opening the box.

Altman was shocked, staring at the ring.

"Well?" Bridget laughed. "Would you like to marry me?"

"Yes!" Altman exclaimed. He laughed at himself, realizing he'd acted like every girl he'd seen in a proposal video online.

"Come here, get up," Altman said, beaming. He wrapped his arms around her in a big hug.

"I love you so much," he said softly into her ear.

"I love you, too," she said into his shoulder.

He slowly released her from the hug. "I have to admit something, though," he said shyly.

"Oh?" she replied.

"I may also have bought rings," Altman smiled. "I was going to ask you the same question tonight, after making you dinner and walking down to the community garden."

Bridget looked at him as if he was a cute puppy. "Oh my gosh," she said. "That sounds perfect. Did I ruin it?"

Altman laughed. "Of course not. We just got engaged even sooner!"

Bridget smiled brightly at him as he took out his own ring box.

"Will you, Bridget Tevellyn, do me the honor of marrying me?" he asked.

"Yes!" she quickly replied.

They both laughed softly, and she leaned her head on his affectionately as he took her hand. He slipped a ring onto her finger.

Bridget wiped tears from her eyes. "This is crazy," she managed to say.

"And here I was worried that I was buying a ring way too soon," Altman said, holding Bridget's hands.

"I was worried I'd be asking you too soon!" Bridget laughed. "Honestly I'd marry you today if I could," she admitted shyly.

Her green eyes stared into his, sparkling with tears waiting to stream down her cheeks.

"I may have also bought wedding bands," Altman laughed nervously. "So if you want to skip a lengthy engagement, we can get married right now," he added, half joking.

The tears cascaded from her eyes. "Are you serious?" she choked.

Altman nodded. He realized he'd started to cry, too.

"It's crazy," he said so quietly it was almost a whisper. "But I've never been more sure. I've never met anyone else like you and I never will. I love you, Bridget, and I know I'll love you more tomorrow, and the day after that. I want to marry you."

She brushed away the water her cheeks. "Do you really have wedding bands?" she laughed through more happy tears.

Altman nodded and took out another ring box.

"I want to marry you," Bridget said.

Altman laughed, but opened the box. Beaming at each other, they each slipped one of the bands onto to the other's finger without a word. Altman wrapped his arms around Bridget's waist and she kissed him eagerly. The morning had gone better than either of them had expected, and they couldn't have been happier.


	4. Chapter 3: The Tevellyn House

Bridget rubbed the sleep from her eyes, hoping the plastic over the insulation had kept any harmful dust out of her eyes and lungs as she slept. It had been their first night in the new building that would eventually grow into their main house. For now, though, it was just a newly insulated room that they'd hurriedly moved their bed and night stands into.

Bridget was eager to get the drywall and painting done as soon as possible; ideally within the week, despite how busy the season was for the garden. It had been two months since her last period, and she was fairly certain they'd soon be meeting the consequences of their cohabitation – or perhaps one of their many sleepovers before Altman moved in.

They wanted a family, and sure enough, they were getting one! It wasn't long before Bridget had to trade her usual overalls for loose-fitting dresses and the race was on to get the house ready for a new arrival.

It was also an especially important season for the garden. Autumn meant big harvests, fallen leaves to collect and mix into the compost, and fertilizing the soil before it became covered in snow. Bridget spent as much time as possible getting her hands dirty, but she knew she couldn't do it all herself with their new family member on the way.

In anticipation of her make-shift 'maternity leave,' Bridget showed her new husband the ropes of the garden and her composting system. If they had food going bad in the fridge or plants dying, she'd toss it into the bin attached to the sprinkler system. "You know I hate to waste anything," she'd say with a smile. After some time in the composter, they could use their scraps as fertilizer. Before winter arrived, they would need to generously distribute this combination of 'black gold' and colored leaves to replenish the soil for next year's crops.

"Can you put meat or fish in there?" Altman asked once.

"Well, meat and fish can be tricky," Bridget explained. "Since this is a metal, lined bin, it probably wouldn't attract too many pests. But it's still best to only use pre-cooked meat and run it through the food processor before tossing it in, to help minimize bad bacteria."

"I used to love fishing, you know," Altman reminisced. "As a kid, with my dad."

"Oh?" Bridget smiled at him. "You've never mentioned that."

"I was pretty good at it, actually."

"There's a fishing spot up in the hills, but I haven't had a chance to go check it out."

"Really?" Altman's eyes lit up.

"Some of our plants would really benefit from having those extra nutrients in their fertilizer," she smiled at him again.

That adventure would have to wait, though, as the months leading up to the birth were busy ones. As Bridget's belly grew, Altman had to look after the crops more and more as well as put the finishing touches on their new building and assembling furniture for the baby.

They started small; it was a simple one-room building where the family would sleep. For now, the original cabin would continue to serve as the kitchen and bathroom. They didn't have a lot to spend, but it was plenty spacious enough for Bridget's bedroom set, a new loveseat and the woodland-inspired crib and bookshelf Bridget had picked out.

Phase 2 would add a bathroom and a proper bedroom. Once their bedroom furniture was out of the way, Bridget and Altman could move the kitchen so that the original cabin could serve as a studio, office or kids' playroom. For now, though, they would have to settle for their two one-room buildings, because the baby wasn't going to wait any longer!

After a miraculously easy at-home labor, Bridget and Altman welcomed Emery Tevellyn into the world.

* * *

The next baby didn't want to wait either; they made their presence known before Emery's 1st birthday. Bridget and Altman bought Emery a few toys to celebrate, but most of their spend went towards a high chair and a second crib, which would stay near the kitchen next to Bridget's easel, until the next baby arrived.

"I told you she looks like you," Bridget mused while making pancakes a few weeks after Emery's birthday.

Altman smiled. "She does, doesn't she? I thought maybe as she'd get older she'd start looking more like you, and she'd just have my coloring."

"Seeing your skin tone, eyes, hair color, nose and face shape wasn't enough to convince you?" Bridget laughed.

She scooped up two pancakes with the spatula and put them on a plate for Altman. He grabbed a fork and paused, looking at his plate.

"I'm not upset," Bridget bumped her shoulder into his playfully. "I love it, you know. I wanted to have kids with you, not clones of myself."

Altman looked a little relieved. He kissed Bridget's cheek, then took his food to the table.

"Besides," Bridget added. "I want at least four more – one of them is bound to look more like me."

Altman nearly choked on his pancakes. "Four more?!"

"At least," Bridget glanced over to make sure he wasn't actually choking, then returned her focus to the pancakes. "They're apple, are they okay?"

Altman's coughing tapered off. "At least four _more?_ " he wheezed. Before moving in, kids had come up in conversation and he learned that Bridget shared his desire to have a family. What they hadn't discussed was _how much_ of a family she wanted.

"Oh, goodness, was that what made you choke?" Bridget asked earnestly. "I thought I put too much apple in the pancakes, I've just been craving apples and carbs… I think I'll put peanut butter on mine…" she trailed off, distracted by her brilliant idea and a sudden urgency to find the peanut butter jar.

Altman calmed his voice before he spoke again, but he was holding his fork firmly upright. "Bridget, you want at least 5 children?"

Emery stirred in her crib and started whimpering. Altman put down his fork, got up, walked over and scooped Emery out of her crib.

"It's alright baby girl, mommy is just talking nonsense," he turned back to Bridget. " _You want at least 5 kids?!_ " he shout-whispered at her.

Bridget was trying not to laugh; she could see Altman was genuinely shocked and freaking out a little. If it weren't for his sharp tone, she might not have picked up on his panic. His eyes were wide, but almost looked glazed over. The combination made it clear that he was having trouble wrapping his head around the idea.

" _We have two one-room cabins!_ " Altman added, bouncing Emery lightly. She snuggled into his shoulder. " _Why are you smiling like that?!_ "

It was in times like these that Bridget's broad sense of humor worked against her. Despite her best efforts, she still hadn't reclaimed a straight face.

"Was it a joke? Oh," Altman sighed. "Oh, it was a joke… Scared me half to death."

His words put an end to Bridget's struggle; a more neutral expression came naturally now. But when her brow furrowed while she tried to find her next words…

"Ohh Watcher, it wasn't a joke," Altman's eyes grew wide and he started bouncing the baby again. Emery's eyes widened, too; her head was jerked away from her father's shoulder as she unwillingly wobbled around in his arm. "Mommy wants a _lot_ more babies, Em, you hearing this craziness?"

"Alt, calm down," Bridget finally said softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spring this on you. I want a big family… We'll figure out the money. With both of us gardening and if you start fishing, we'll have plenty of food to feed ourselves and money to expand the house. Emery has barely cost us anything so far… We'll be fine."

Altman thought it over and slowly stopped bouncing Emery. She seemed happy about this and settled back into his shoulder.

"Okay," he finally said. He didn't seem entirely convinced. "But we need to take a bit of a break after this one is born… build out the house a bit before we have a third, alright?"

Bridget beamed at him. "I love you."

"Yeah, I love you too," Altman laughed uneasily.

He put Emery in her high chair. Bridget grabbed some homemade baby food out of the fridge and served it to her. Emery gurgled happily and tried to scoop it with her hands. Both parents watched her, smiling. Bridget rested a hand on her stomach. ' _We will be fine_ ,' she reassured herself.

Altman's logical nature was a good balance for Bridget's passionate, but sometimes impulsive one. Where Altman used his head, Bridget followed her heart. It was part of what they admired about each other and why they worked so well. When Bridget was feeling overwhelmed or emotional, Altman was her voice of reason, and when Altman was anxious about a lack of information or how to deal with his feelings, Bridget could calmly comfort and support him.

But Bridget was confident in her desire to have a big family, and even more so when she looked into her children's eyes. As Emery happily bobbed around on the floor nearby, Bridget held Matthew close and watched his little eyelids struggling to decide whether to stay open or closed. His tiny lips hung open and his voice came out in soft coos every few breaths. Seeing them… being with them... Bridget knew she would make things work. Some financial stress and other bumps in the road would be inevitable, but all the strife and struggle in the world would be worth it to give her children the life she dreamed about in this beautiful place.

* * *

Bridget and Altman didn't have to think very much about delaying their next pregnancy. There simply wasn't enough time, energy or privacy for them to spoil each other as much as they used to. They prioritized generating income and time with their children, but they fit in time for themselves where they could.

As much as Altman loved reading, it didn't pay the bills. Instead of relaxing in bed with a book, he often got up early to go fishing. During the warmer months, he went to Cinnamon Crest Falls, near their home. He went fishing less as it got colder, but even if the pond at the Falls had frozen, he would sometimes take his gear all the way down to the river's edge at the other side of town for a much-needed break.

The community garden was Bridget's place for respite. Her trips were usually in the evening and like Altman, her trips were less frequent in the colder months, but she went year-round. The visits kept her from going stir crazy or missing the plants too much. As strange as it was, Altman had seen Bridget talk to her plants from time to time and found it rather endearing. She cared about each and every one of her plants as though they were her pets, and her deep care for living things was part of what he loved about her.

It became routine for them to wake up early so Bridget could start on the gardening work while Altman went out to fish. He'd return to get the kids up and fed breakfast, then entertain Emery until Bridget was ready to take over in the afternoon. After lunch, it was story time, and they could get through a book or two while Bridget did some quick cleaning around the house. Bridget didn't mind cleaning up the fallout from lunchtime when she could hear Altman reading with Emery. She loved hearing the way his voice changed when he spoke through a smile. He was almost always smiling when he was talking to Emery, but especially when he would read to her.

* * *

Emery and Matthew made parenting look almost easy. They slept well, their hunger was fairly predictable, and they were sweet, affectionate kids. Emery became a bit more precocious the more words she learned, and Matthew became more of a trouble-maker the more mobile he became. But overall, Altman thought they must have been some of the luckiest parents in the world to have such great kids.

Since they were so well-behaved, Bridget and Altman had found the time to work on improvements to the house, including the addition of a small hallway area for extra play space and more room for the cribs. The new bathroom was coming along nicely; the outer walls were finished with time to spare before winter set in, which would mean they could focus on the interior while the crops and fish were dormant.

The kids having their own space and playing so well together in combination with their parents' desire to cozy up in the cold winter months had an unplanned consequence, though. Bridget was pregnant again, so they had to adjust their renovation plans. Bridget and Altman's master bedroom would have to wait.

They finished the bathroom over the winter, then began framing walls for another bedroom. Instead of the master next to the bathroom, though, it was for a small bedroom off the play area for the kids. It was ready by the end of the following summer – just in time before the baby arrived.

Bridget gave birth to another beautiful baby girl, who they named Aria. True to her name, Aria was a much noisier baby than her older siblings. Her happy gurgling and singing were fine for the most part, but hours of non-stop baby sounds were bound to annoy everyone once in a while.

With little argument from Emery and Matthew, the new bedroom became Aria's while the toddlers shared the main room with their parents. Emery would need a proper bed soon, but until then, it was better for everyone's sanity to have the baby in her own space while she enjoyed the sounds of her not-so-little voice.

Since they still didn't have a master bedroom, Bridget and Altman had no privacy. They were constantly "on call" for parent duty with two walking, talking toddlers – that got along especially well when they were getting into trouble – and a baby that made it difficult to know when she needed something or was just making noise. It especially weighed on Bridget; it was taking longer for her to lose the baby weight and it was clear that she wasn't as happy. She was still a great mom, but Altman was worried that she felt even worse than she was letting on.

Altman decided to prioritize getting the master bedroom built. It would mean skipping a few fishing trips, but also gave him the perfect excuse to get Bridget outside and focused on the garden since he could watch the kids while he worked. Getting dirt under her nails would do her good. He wasn't concerned about her weight, but he knew she was happier when she was healthier, which meant more active. In addition to reconnecting with the earth at home, Altman also encouraged Bridget to take more trips down to the community garden.

His encouragement was effective, and he thanked the Watcher that Bridget was back to her happy, healthy self by the time Emery's birthday came around. Things weren't about to slow down – with no school in town yet, Bridget and Altman would have to make sure Emery had every opportunity to learn practical skills that would support her through her life and help her earn a living.

Emery excitedly blew out her candles, eager to start her childhood. Based on the books her dad had read to her, childhood was sure to be full of new adventures, going places and learning new things!

She took to painting right away, but wasn't quite old enough for gardening with her mom or going fishing with her dad.

With the master bedroom nearly complete, Bridget and Altman moved Aria's crib back into the hallway. Emery was thrilled to have her own room where she could play and read in peace.

Next, Bridget and Altman turned their attention to moving the kitchen. Emery was an invaluable help for watching the kids. She occupied Matthew for hours as they played together and would always fetch one of her parents when Aria's singing turned to screams. Granted, she was never happy about the latter. Emery usually stormed out of the house, calling to alert her parents that the "shrieking grub was doing it again." But at least she wasn't taking out her frustration on the defenseless baby in her crib.

The new kitchen was done just in time for Aria's 1st birthday. The kids were excited for the cake and even more excited about their new playroom in the cabin. Bridget and Altman, on the other hand, were just glad another major renovation was done before another baby arrived.

Aria looked the most like her mother out of the three and had the same green eyes. Her love for singing to herself and making up songs intensified in her toddler years. Needless to stay, she took to the xylophone even more than her siblings had.

* * *

The following summer and fall, Altman began taking Emery to Cinnamon Crest Falls and teaching her to fish. She was a natural! Altman was always impressed at how well she took instruction and seemed to enjoy their trips despite how quiet and still you had to be. When she was in a chatty mood, Emery could keep her voice down and was very good at making up stories to pass the time.

Still, Altman worried that there weren't other kids for her to meet and play with. It's so important for kids to interact with others their own age, but the town's growth was, well, nonexistent. The number of households seemed indefinitely stagnant. He decided to bring up his concerns to Bridget.

"Don't worry," his wife told him. "I ordered a computer."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Altman scoffed.

"Well, she can meet people online when she's old enough," Bridget replied matter-of-factly. "We can set permissions to keep her on certain sites and I can periodically check her chat history for the first little while to make sure it's appropriate."

"I don't know, Bridget," Altman groaned.

"I know," Bridget sighed. "You hate computers. But we shouldn't shelter the kids from them. We want to keep their opportunities as open as possible, right? The internet opens up the whole world for them."

He grumbled about it, but ultimately accepted her reasoning. It wasn't a replacement for in-person social interaction, but it would be better than nothing.

That didn't mean he had to be happy about it when the computer arrived, though.

The computer was put in the playroom, which allowed Emery to continue helping her parents look after her younger siblings. She played some games on the machine, but mostly used it to practice her writing.

In the winter off-season, they had the most opportunities for family time together. All three children seemed to love the outdoors no matter the weather.

With all the major renovations done, Bridget and Altman were finally able to enjoy more time with their three children and the excitement of having another on the way. They added another kid's bedroom and had plans to build a third after the baby arrived. It finally felt like they had the space they needed and all of their furniture had a proper place.

Altman began to teach Emery to play chess and read more with Matthew, who had (adorably) memorized a few of the books and could often be seen happily flipping through them, narrating out loud to himself. So far it was unclear whether Aria would share any of her parents' or siblings' interests. She was new to the whole 'moving around on her own' thing, after all. As all tots deserve to be, Aria was mostly just happy playing and _being_. And her parents were more than happy with that.


	5. Chapter 4: Cinnamon Crest Falls

In the early morning light, with her dad all to herself, Emery cast her line and patiently wait for a nibble. She enjoyed the soft sounds of the bugs and birds waking up, the steady and somehow delicate crashing of the waterfall into the pond, and quiet talks with her father. Her favorite was when he'd talk about growing up in the city… although by how he described it, she didn't think she would want to live there. It sounded very busy and noisy – nothing like their home or Cinnamon Crest Falls.

Emery cherished these mornings. With three younger siblings at home, it was hard to get quality one-on-one time with her parents, let alone quiet time to herself, even though she had her own room. Soon Aria would have her own room, too… ' _Maybe the house will be quieter when that little noise-maker has her own space,_ ' she thought.

As it was, spending time at Cinnamon Crest Falls felt like a blessing. While Bridget spent her mornings gardening and minding the younger kids, Altman would take Emery up the Falls and they would fish. He told her she was a natural, but she assumed he was just being nice because he loved her so much. Whether or not she had a talent for it, her dad seemed proud of her, and she thought it was fun. Fishing felt like the best of two worlds: Emery could enjoy the stillness of the early hours, the sounds of nature, and peaceful moments with her father; but every so often, they would feel the thrill of a tug on their line! They had to pull and try to reel in their catch before it got away – which was always so exciting – and cheered each other on. If she didn't succeed, her dad would always console her and encourage her to try again.

The Falls quickly became her favorite place.

* * *

The newest competitor for her parents' attention was Ryker. He was already an excitable child; he loved to smile and laugh, was always happy to see his family members, and would wave his arms around if he was particularly energetic. Emery had to admit that it was cute how happy he'd get when he saw her, but otherwise, he just seemed like _another_ noisy, smelly baby.

' _At least Matthew is finally gonna' be more grown up,_ ' Emery sighed to herself as she watched her mom fussing over the new baby. ' _Why does she even want all these kids, anyway?_ '

Emery and Matthew were less than two years apart, but to Emery it felt like it took _forever_ for him to turn 5.

"Turning 5 is a big deal because it means you aren't a baby anymore, you're big enough to go to school," Emery explained to him.

"But _you_ don't," Matthew replied skeptically.

"But I _could!_ " Emery scowled. "Isn't it better to learn things here with mom and dad than go off to some 'hoarding' school and live with strangers?"

Matthew's eyes widened.

"Exactly!" Emery shook her head. "I don't know why you still doubt me."

"Kids!" Bridget called. "Matthew's cake is ready!"

"CAKE!" they both shrieked.

Giggling wildly, they ran into the kitchen. Matthew started to slip when he rounded the corner, but Altman caught him before his head made contact with the counters.

"Careful there, buddy," Altman chuckled.

Matthew looked at his dad sheepishly in a silent apology.

"It's okay," Altman said, kissing his forehead. "I just don't want you to get hurt." He adjusted his arms around his son. "Goodness you're getting heavy! Soon I won't be able to lift you."

"He's _GROWING_ , dad," Emery said proudly. "He's _FIVE_ now."

"Almost a man, hm?" Altman chuckled. "First thing's first, you've gotta' blow out your candles."

With as big of a breath as he could muster (and a little help from Altman), Matthew blew out his candles as his mom and sisters cheered. Altman served each child a slice, which they gobbled up eagerly. The family wasn't big on birthday presents while the children were small; they usually just bought what the kids needed as they needed it. But birthdays did mean some new toys, and this year Matthew had asked for a football.

"Oh, I wonder what 'dis could be," Matthew joked as he held his football-shaped present.

"Hm, I'm not sure," Bridget giggled.

"A space helmet?" Matthew mused, turning it over thoughtfully. "A pirate ship?"

"A pony!" Emery laughed.

Matthew tore the paper off and rushed outside to play with Emery.

As they tossed the football back and forth, Emery excitedly rambled on about all the things they would be able to do together and things she could teach him "now that he was big enough." It made Matthew excited, too. It was fun playing with Aria, but he idolized Emery and loved to learn.

* * *

"Matthew wants to learn to fish, too," Emery told her father as she tried to keep up.

"Does that bother you?" Altman asked her.

It was a comfortably cool evening and they were heading up to the Falls together. They hadn't gone that morning, so when the gardening was done, Altman had agreed to take Emery after dinner.

Emery thought about her father's question before answering, "No. But I'll miss it being just us."

"Well you don't have to worry about that yet," he smiled. "He has to wait until he's 6, just like you did."

Emery was sad that their fishing trips would soon change, but tried her best to appreciate the one-on-one time while she still had it. She found it frustrating how much of her parents' time Aria and Ryker stole, but she knew her mom and dad tried their best to make time for all of them. She had to be patient.

Luckily, she decided Matthew coming along was "actually okay" after the first few times. He'd also caught their father's affinity for fishing, although he wasn't as naturally gifted at it as Emery was. She enjoyed helping to teach him and he was a gracious student.

When Emery was a bit older – "almost 10," she'd proudly say – Bridget and Altman began allowing her and Matthew to take their bikes up to Cinnamon Crest Falls on their own. They would spend hours there fishing, playing and talking. It wasn't long before it became Matthew's favorite place, as well.

When they weren't at the Falls, Emery enjoyed painting while Matthew preferred to be curled up with a book.

The easel had to be moved outside as the house got more crowded, but Emery was happy to spend most of her time outdoors. Her favorite thing to paint was the waterfall and what she imagined the town might be like when more families moved in.

Matthew quickly devoured all of the children's books in the house. He usually read in his room with the door closed to help muffle the sounds of Aria's singing and Ryker's crying and giggling. He finished children's books and teen novels on his own, but sometimes took turns reading the more advanced books aloud with his father. Taking a page from his sister's book (so to speak), he began using the computer to practice his writing and make up stories. He also signed up for a book club that would mail him and his father something new every week.

"See, dad? Computers can be great!" Matthew commented when he shared his book club discovery with Altman. Altman only grumbled.

* * *

Matthew was heading over to the cabin to use the computer on a sunny Sunday morning when he noticed a girl walking up to their house. He hadn't seen, well, _any_ other kids around before. He stood and stared for a moment. She had very pretty, dark hair tied up with a blue bow and a bag of newspapers over her shoulder.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," the girl sneered.

It made Matthew jump. "Uh—sorry, I, uh—"

She snickered. "Don't worry, I'm just messing with you. You probably don't see many people around here, huh? I sure don't."

"Do you live here?" Matthew asked hesitantly.

The girl shook her head. "No, my dad just makes me deliver these stupid papers every Sunday for like, responsibility, or whatever. It's _so_ lame."

"…Oh," was all he managed to say.

She giggled. "You're weird. Must be weird living out here with, like, nothing around," she paused for a response, but he remained quiet.

"Stunned by my beauty, huh?" she giggled again.

Matthew's face went beet red. "No! I—uh—"

This time she laughed melodically. "I'm Dorothy," she said.

"Matthew," he said shyly.

"Guess you're not used to teasing, huh?"

"Uh, no—I guess not."

"That's okay," she smiled. "You're weird, but I think you're okay."

"Thanks? I guess you're okay, too?" Matthew was thoroughly confused. Was this how all ' _normal_ ' kids talked and made friends? Was he _weird_?

"See you next Sunday, weirdo," Dorothy said cheerfully, lazily waving her hand as she walked back to her bike.

Matthew watched her ride down the hill towards the community garden and boarding house. He wasn't sure what to think of what just happened, but he knew he was glad to hear he'd see her again next weekend.

Matthew began hanging out by the front of the house every Sunday morning so he could say hi to Dorothy. He learned they were nearly the same age and she went to a _huge_ public school – or at least, it must have been huge, because there were _28 students_ in her class! Matthew couldn't even imagine how many kids there must be in the whole school! He decided to research what public school was like, so he could look like less of a weirdo to Dorothy. She never seemed to mind explaining things to him, but he really didn't want to be a 'weirdo' forever.

They became fast friends and Dorothy began frequently spending her Sundays with the Tevellyns. Their house was now routinely the last stop on her route so that she could stay for a few hours and play. After delivering the paper to the homes in the next town over, her dad would drive her to the boarding house in Appaloosa Plains. She'd drop their copy off on the porch, then bike up to the Tevellyns'. Bridget would call her dad when she arrived, and he'd drive back to town to pick her up before dinner.

Emery would play with them, too, although she didn't like Dorothy nearly as much as Matthew did. She thought Dorothy was mean, but Matthew always brushed off her comments about it. He figured she was just jealous that he'd made a friend before she had.

Even in the winter, they were just as happy to play outside as they were to play indoors. When it was cold enough, Bridget or Altman would take the kids up to Cinnamon Crest Falls to go skating on the pond.

It was those afternoons that made Matthew realize he had his first crush.

* * *

Those afternoons also made Bridget realize how much time she was missing with her older children. She'd been so preoccupied with the little ones and the gardens that she worried she didn't spend enough time with Emery and Matthew. That spring, she made a point to go to the Falls with them from time to time. She wasn't very interested in fishing, but she loved listening to them ramble about their adventures – the fish they'd caught before or which trees and rocks were important for their games of pretend. Sometimes they would make up a character for their mom to play in one of their games, while other times they stuck to playing tag. When the kids wanted to fish, Bridget would collect seeds or relax nearby with a book.

They often saw different birds, reptiles, deer and other animals near the Falls. Bridget was usually the one to point them out, so when Emery was the first to spot a pygmy tortoise, she was overjoyed.

"Look, mom, he's sooo cute!" Emery cooed.

Bridget giggled. "He's very cute for a turtle."

"He's very cute for _any_ animal," Emery insisted. "Can I keep him? Pleeease?!"

Bridget couldn't think of a good reason to refuse, so the pygmy tortoise became the first-ever pet they had in the house.

Matthew's favorite creatures were the bugs and wild horses. The horses usually ran by or stopped at the pond for a drink, but occasionally they would graze across the water from where the children were fishing.

One night, one horse stayed behind. Matthew watched it intently from a distance. He knew his mom would be upset if he went too close; she told him it wasn't safe because animals weren't predictable. Plus, if she yelled, she'd scare it away. So he obeyed and kept his distance, watching in awe.

It was a beautiful black horse with a long, dark mane and cute pointy ears that flicked around. When the horse took a drink from the hitching post trough by the road, Matthew thought he saw all the colors of the rainbow radiating from it, but quickly dismissed the idea as a product of his imagination. The horse raised its head and gave it a shake, tossing the locks of its mane gingerly, and Matthew thought he saw _a horn_. It was Matthew's turn to give his head a shake. ' _Horses don't have horns,_ ' he reminded himself. But when he opened his eyes again and focused, he saw that this one … _did_.

"Emery!" Matthew said in a hushed, excited voice as he ran over to her. "I think it's a unicorn!"

Emery looked at the horse and smiled at her brother. "It is a really beautiful horse," she replied.

"No, Emery, it has a horn!" he insisted. "I saw it!"

"Maybe another time, Matthew, I just want to catch one more fish before we head home. I can't play pretend with you right now."

"I'm not playing pretend," he frowned. "It can't have three ears, one of them is a horn! Look carefully—it's hard to see because it's dark."

Emery smiled sympathetically. "I only see its ears, Matt."

Defeated, her turned back towards his mother and tried to get her to look at the unicorn. As Emery had, Bridget agreed it was a beautiful horse.

"I'm not sure why it didn't continue on with the others that ran by," she added.

"Because it's a _unicorn_ , mom!" Matthew insisted.

Bridget smiled at him, then looked back at her book. "If you want to do any more fishing, now is your chance. Once Emery catches her next fish, we have to head home. It's getting late."

Matthew was crushed. He was sure it was a unicorn. Why didn't they believe him?

* * *

"Mom's pregnant again," Emery told her pygmy tortoise. "I like having other kids around, but babies are so annoying… they just cry and smell weird and make mom and dad more busy…"

She sighed and put her face close to the glass of the terrarium. "You understand, right? I bet your shell is a perfect spot to hide when other animals bother you."

The tortoise stood still on its rock. Emery smiled at him, "Thanks for listening, little guy."

Sometimes it felt as though her tortoise was the only one who listened to her anymore.

* * *

The bigger Bridget's belly got, the less time she and Altman had to take the kids to the Falls. But since Matthew was a rather responsible 10-year-old now, they let him go whenever he wanted. Sometimes he did so after dinner; as long as he was home and in bed by 9:30pm, he could keep the privilege. He dreaded the thought of being grounded, so he timed the bike ride to learn exactly how long it would take him to get home – and therefore, how long he could stay and wait.

It took weeks, but it finally happened: the unicorn returned.

Matthew had to fight his desire to jump up and shout in excitement. Shaking with delight, he watched from afar as patiently as he could. The unicorn didn't seem to mind, but it also took no interest in him. Matthew watched intently and stayed as late as he could, but eventually he had to hop on his bike and get home.

With the validation that the unicorn was real, Matthew kept returning to the falls after dinner and waiting to see if it would visit again. Sure enough, it began to gallop into sight or seemingly appear out of thin air every few days. In those nights watching it, Matthew had never seen the unicorn act aggressively towards other animals and it didn't seem very jumpy. He was sure it was aware of his presence each time, too. So he decided to take the risk and approach the steed to introduce himself.

"Hi," he said softly. "I'm Matthew. You're an incredibly beautiful unicorn… Thanks for letting me hang out with you all these nights."

The unicorn nickered and sniffed Matthew. He was elated. Smiling from ear to ear, he took the apple he'd brought in his pocket and offered it to the unicorn. It sniffed it, then hastily gobbled it up and snorted at Matthew.

"You liked that!" Matthew giggled. "I'll bring you some more next time. For now, I have to go home, or my mom will worry."

The unicorn seemed indifferent and trotted to the water's edge for a drink. Matthew watched it for another moment, then hopped on his bike and headed home.

* * *

Emery's 13th birthday arrived on a beautiful spring day. The winter cold had thawed and seemed like a distant memory now that the warm summer air was starting to move in. Emery's cell phone alarm quietly chimed before the sun rose, but it woke her as planned. After she brushed her hair and pulled on a tank top and shorts, she pushed around the fabric in her top drawer, looking for a specific wide headband she'd made. She wasn't very good at sewing, but she'd made a few fabric headbands by following SimTube tutorials. The purple one with a funky pattern was her favorite. Her mission a success, she pulled it on and adjusted it to comfortably keep her long hair out of her face. She pushed the drawer closed and opened the next. She took out one of the button-up blouses and wide belts to complete her outfit. She knew it would just be another day, but she wanted to feel pretty and still be comfortable enough to go fishing without feeling ridiculous. Emery was out the door and riding her bike up to the Falls in no time.

Emery returned home to the smell of pancakes. It was mid-morning, but only her parents and Ryker seemed to be up so far.

"There you are," Altman beamed. "Go to the Falls this morning?"

Emery smiled and nodded.

"Why don't we go together after dinner tonight, just the two of us?"

Her smile widened. "I'd like that."

For Altman, it felt like yesterday that she'd been the length of his forearm, cooing as he held her close, or fussing impatiently while he heated up her baby formula. He almost couldn't believe she was already _thirteen_. Where had the years gone?


	6. Ch 5: Boarding House & Community Garden

Rukiya Shabani glanced out the window as the taxi pulled up to their destination. It had been an unseasonably hot and humid spring day in the city and she'd dressed accordingly, but now that they were in the countryside she was getting cold. Luckily, she'd only be outside for a moment.

"Well, this is it," the cab driver said as she slowed to a stop. "Appaloosa Plains' boarding house... I'll help you get your bags out of the trunk."

Rukiya didn't own much, and brought even less with her to start he new life. When her mother passed away, she resolved to sell almost everything in their small apartment to fund a move to somewhere new. Her mother had moved to Sim Nation from Africa when she was not much older than Rukiya was now. It seemed like a fitting next step for her to seek a new life now that she was alone in the world, as her mother had been then.

Rukiya put her bags at the curb, then thanked and paid the taxi driver (it was an expensive trip, getting a ride all the way from the city – but there wasn't any bus or train service to Appaloosa Plains). She took a moment to look around. It certainly was a land of 'opportunity'… she'd expected more buildings to be here by now. Hadn't the revitalization program started _years_ ago?

Doubts filled Rukiya's mind: ' _Was moving here the right choice? Where were all the houses – didn't anyone live here yet? Was the revitalization program a failure, and she'd missed the news?_ ' She sighed. She could hear the sounds of the taxi driving away fade into the distance. Her escape option was gone and she'd paid for a few months' stay at the boarding house in advance, anyway. It seemed unlikely she could get another cab out here this late and even less likely that she'd get a refund from the boarding house. So, after a deep breath, she picked up her bags and made her way up to the front door. She'd just have to hope for the best.

She put down her bags on the porch and tried the door. It was unlocked, so she lightly pushed it open. As she moved her bags inside, she was greeted by a man sitting on a couch in the foyer.

"You must be Rukiya," the man smiled and stood up. "I'm Pablo Martinez. My wife Jennifer and I are the managers here."

Pablo walked towards Rukiya as she put the last of her bags down and closed the door.

She turned back towards him and greeted him warmly, "It's lovely to meet you."

"Likewise," Pablo said as they shook hands. "Well, you're probably tired after coming all the way out here, so I'll show you to your room and then we can get your bags up there."

Rukiya nodded, but picked up a bag. ' _Better to carry the largest suitcase on its own_ ,' she reasoned.

"You're up here on the second floor, in the back here," Pablo said as he guided her up the stairs. "The door does lock and you'll have your own bathroom, so no need to worry about privacy."

"Are these other doors all bedrooms as well?" Rukiya asked.

"Yep, the closed doors are all bedrooms. Only the one next to you is occupied right now. That arch in the corner leads into a shared study, so if you need to use the computer for anything, that's where to find it."

Pablo unlocked the bedroom door and handed Rukiya the key as they stepped into her room.

"Is it just me and one other person here, then?" she asked as she put her bag down.

"We have two others upstairs and my wife and I have the room downstairs – the door just behind the stairs," he answered.

The room was spacious and tastefully decorated. It had a large mirror by the door, a dresser with a tray of supplies you mind find at a hotel – shampoo, soap and the like – a cabinet by the bathroom door with towels and linens, a double bed by the bay window, and a small sitting area.

"This door here is to your bathroom," Pablo explained, referring to the door nearest them. "And the door by the chairs back there is to a small balcony. Yours is the only suite on this floor with a private balcony and there's an easel out there you're welcome to use."

He paused for a moment. "I'm sure I'm forgetting something," he added. "But if any questions come up, feel free to ask me or Jennifer. Oh, and help yourself to anything in the fridge that isn't labelled with a name."

"Sounds good," Rukiya smiled. "Thanks Pablo."

"You're very welcome," he said. "Let's go get your other bags."

They headed back downstairs and Pablo offered to carry the large suitcase while Rukiya took the two smaller ones.

"What brought you and your wife to Appaloosa Plains, Pablo?" Rukiya asked.

"Oh," Pablo said wearily. "We were looking for a change. Our careers weren't going the way we wanted, but still seemed to take up all our time. So," he sighed as he climbed the last step. "We decided to take a chance and move to be closer to nature."

"Wow, that sounds like a big leap," Rukiya said.

"Yeah," Pablo chuckled softly. "We're going to be here through the end of the year, but I think ultimately we're going to move somewhere else. This is a temporary work situation for us. We like being out here, but the lack of amenities is definitely weighing on us… Might have leapt too far… We'll see."

They reached Rukiya's room again and Pablo placed the case on the ground in front of the mirror. Rukiya placed the others on top of it.

"Well, I'm off to bed. Let me know tomorrow if there are any issues or you have other questions," Pablo smiled. "Goodnight."

"Night," Rukiya smiled half-heartedly as Pablo left the room, then grabbed her toothbrush from her bag and headed to the bathroom.

The bathroom was smaller than she expected given the spaciousness of the bedroom, but it was all she needed. She'd also lived in far worse places growing up.

Rukiya looked at her reflection and sighed. Her doubts were encouraged by what Pablo had said. She wondered how long ago he'd moved there, and what was stopping more people from putting down roots or opening shops. She opened the toothpaste bottle at the edge of the sink, squeezed some onto her toothbrush, and started brushing. She was frustrated with herself. ' _Don't be a coward for once,_ ' she urged herself.

She thought of her mother. She'd come from _nothing_ ; born in a small Swahili community in northern Mozambique near the Tanzanian border, her mother and father had fled when they heard about the increasing violence involved in the country's fight for independence from Portugal. They made a home in a larger Swahili community in Tanzania, but her father fell ill and passed away shortly after her mother found out she was pregnant. Their family and a refugee organization supported the expectant mother's escape in hopes of providing a better life for the new child. She settled in a city - where it would be more likely to find work, especially since she only spoke Swahili and Portugese - in a shabby but affordable apartment. When the baby arrived, she named her Rukiya: _she rises up_.

Her mother had shown strength and courage to do what she did, especially so soon after losing her husband. That strength had given Rukiya the privilege of being born in Sim Nation. The least she could do now to honor her mother's memory was show an once of courage. Her circumstances were not nearly as dire as her mother's had been.

"I can do this," she said to her reflection. She didn't really believe it, but she had to try.

* * *

Rukiya woke up to the sound of thunder and wrapped the covers more closely around herself. She hated thunderstorms. The rain was so heavy that she could only see outlines of the mountains in the distance. Still tired from travelling and not wanting to face the thunderstorm, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

When she finally got up, she put on some warmer clothes and headed downstairs. She bit her lip to try to stop it from trembling… she really _did_ hate thunderstorms.

She could hear voices from the kitchen. After taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she entered the room.

She received a warm greeting from two women sitting at the dining room table. One was still in her pajamas and the other encouraged her to grab some waffles from the counter. She did so and joined them at the table.

"I'm Jennifer," said the woman who'd bothered to get dressed. "And this is Maria, she's renting a room on the third floor," she added, gesturing to the woman in pajamas.

"Not for much longer," Maria said. "Too empty here, it's not for me." She looked at Rukiya adding, "This was an experience though. Jennifer and Pablo are great."

Rukiya smiled half-heartedly. ' _Does everyone who comes here get tired of it?_ ' she wondered.

They made small talk for a while before Jennifer noted she should get back to work and Maria resolved to finally get dressed and start her day. They left the room as Rukiya washed her plate. She decided to take a look around.

The kitchen, dining and living rooms were at the back of the house, a hallway crossed the middle with a bathroom at one end, and the foyer, Pablo and Jennifer's suite, and a sunroom were at the front. In the rain it was hard to tell whether the sunroom had a nice view, but it was pretty clear that it would be nicer without the giant billboard across the street that encouraged passers-by to buy a ranch property by the river.

A crash of thunder made Rukiya jump and she decided to retreat to her room rather than explore any more for today. She unpacked her suitcases and curled up with a book, which helped distract her from the storm raging outside.

She fell asleep so early that she woke up before the sun rose. The rain had cleared up and a few stars were still visible. Even in the early morning darkness, the view from Rukiya's window was much clearer than it had been through the rain. She got out of bed and went to the window for a closer look.

The mountains weren't big enough to have snowy peaks, but they were gorgeous nonetheless. It was a much more pleasing view than she'd every had amidst the crowded city skyline. The only thing that troubled her about the view was how empty it was. It wasn't just 'not crowded,' it was truly close to empty. The only thing she could make out from her window was a fenced in area at the base of the hills.

' _It must be the community garden_ ,' she thought, recalling a promotional article she'd read about the local revitalization program. The garden was the first project to get approved and completed. ' _Is it the_ _ **only**_ _project that's been completed?_ '

She decided she'd jog there that morning to check it out. She got dressed, put her hair up, grabbed an apple from the fridge, and headed out. As soon as she got close, she could tell it was a bit overgrown. Weeds were competing with the heather and boxwood near the gates.

It was even more overgrown than she'd expected. Had people given up on the garden, or had it just not been tended to yet this spring? It was certainly colder here than in the city, so perhaps it was the latter.

With nothing else planned for the day, Rukiya decided to get her hands dirty. At their last apartment, she and her mother had a small balcony that they'd grown a few plants on – a cherry tomato plant, some peppers and a cucumber vine. Rukiya enjoyed their little balcony garden and was happy to learn about the community garden when she was reading up about Appaloosa Plains. She hoped she wasn't the only one who cared about it. Instead of dwelling on that thought, she looked around and began to pull out some of the many weeds.

She returned to the boarding house later in the morning to find Pablo in the kitchen wearing a robe.

"Good morning," he greeted her with a smile. "I just made some waffles, if you'd like any?"

Rukiya accepted the offer and had brunch with Pablo. Their conversation made it clear to Rukiya that most of the boarding house's guests didn't stay very long, and none had paid upfront for several months like Rukiya had. Pablo seemed hopeful that Rukiya was invested enough to actually make a home of Appaloosa Plains.

"I can see why people might enjoy living here," he said wistfully. "It's just getting too late in Jen and I's lives for us to make a permanent home somewhere that's still essentially starting from scratch..."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Rukiya mostly spent her time painting, reading and jogging over to the community garden to bring it back to its former glory.

Slowly but surely, she had the garden looking its best by the time summer arrived.

The weather was finally warm. Rukiya walked over to the garden to relax and enjoy the sunlight and the progress she'd made in the garden. When she opened the gate, she was surprised to see someone already there. The woman was pale, with dark brown hair held up with braids and a messy bun. She wore a white t-shirt, overall-shorts and light purple sneakers. She was surveying the garden beds, smiling.

"Hi," Rukiya called.

The woman jumped, then turned to Rukiya and smiled brightly. "Hello," she said warmly. "I'm Bridget, I live up the hill. Are you the one whose been taking care of the garden?"

Rukiya nodded happily. "I moved into the boarding house in the spring and came out here a few times a week working on it."

"Ugh, what a state it must have been in," Bridget said sympathetically. "I hope you didn't feel obligated to do all that work. I was busy recovering and couldn't make it down here – I just had a baby," she explained.

"Oh, congratulations!" Rukiya smiled. "Your first?"

"No," Bridget laughed. "My fifth!"

"Wow! I can't imagine," Rukiya said. "I'm an only child."

"They can be a handful," Bridget agreed.

After a brief pause, Rukiya realized she hadn't introduced herself. She outstretched her hand, "I'm Rukiya."

"It's nice to meet you," Bridget answered as they shook hands.

"You started this garden, right?" Rukiya asked. "I was so happy to hear this was here. I grew up in the city and never had a real garden, just a few plants… I was a bit surprised – and a bit not, if I'm really honest – at the state the garden was in when I first arrived, but I loved reviving the plants I could and giving others a healthy trim."

Bridget was beaming. "Thanks so much," she said. "I did start it, and I used to come often, but I've been so busy with my kids and my own garden at home that I've neglected this one, unfortunately."

"No, no!" Rukiya insisted. "No need to apologize, really. It was rejuvenating for me to take it on. I've been unsure about my decision to come here, and this garden… well, I think it helped me stay sane," she admitted with a small laugh.

"Sorry the town is so sparse. Growth has stalled a bit, to say the least," Bridget sighed sadly. "Are you looking to move here, or is the boarding house just one stop on a trip or something?"

"My plan was to save up some money to buy land or a small house here," Rukiya said. "I didn't realize there wouldn't be any employment here yet, though… I paid for the first few months of my stay at the boarding house up front, so I've just been waiting around hoping to figure out my next move."

Bridget nodded. "My husband and I assumed that was a big part of the problem. Unless people can work from home there's not much to draw them here yet."

"It's beautiful here – the river, the open space. I feel so much more calm than in the city," Rukiya said. "I'm not looking forward to moving back to a city to find work, but that's always where the jobs are."

They stood in silence for a moment. Rukiya smiled at the bell pepper plant next to her and gently touched one of its topmost leaves, lost in thought.

"You know," Bridget said. "I may have work for you, if you want to stay. With our kids and my husband getting older, it's getting more difficult to manage our garden – it's become almost a hobby farm of sorts," she continued. "I'll give you my number and you can call me in a day or two if you're interested and want to talk about pay. I don't have much but I can give you a fair rate for your work."

Rukiya was in utter disbelief. "You… what? Really?"

Bridget smiled widely and nodded. "If you'd like. I'm impressed with the work you've done here and we could use the help. Give me a call tomorrow or the day after."

Rukiya called the next day and Bridget went down to the boarding house to meet her.

They agreed Rukiya could start coming by Bridget's house a couple times a week to help keep the fruit trees watered and weeded, plus any other support they needed on the main crops. She'd be paid per hour as well as a price per crop when they needed help with harvesting.

"I know it won't be enough to support yourself long term, but it should be a bit extra you can put aside until you decide your next steps," Bridget said.

"Thank you so much, really, this is incredibly nice of you," Rukiya smiled sheepishly. "Since my mom passed, I've felt really lost. If we hadn't met yesterday… well, your kindness means a lot to me."

Bridget smiled again. Rukiya seemed younger the more they talked, but it was refreshing. She remembered what it felt like when she met Altman – that instant sense of companionship in such an empty town had been exactly what she needed to stay and follow through. Maybe now she could play a small part in Rukiya's journey.

* * *

...

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ In compliance with the Build A City Challenge rules, this chapter was primarily based on an alternate save file. I wanted to give everyone a first look at the renovated boarding house and give Rukiya more of an introduction, in accordance with the backstory I've had in my head for her since her creation. Brand new screenshots are available in the versions of this story on Archive of Our Own and The Sims Forums (under Sims 3 Stories).

Rukiya was one of the original 8 "NPCs" for my challenge save file. While I had her painting and gardening in this chapter, she didn't have any skills when she became playable in my challenge save file. Bridget met and befriended Rukiya as part of a skill opportunity; the last screenshot used in this chapter, of them in front of the boarding house, was their "real" first meeting. When they were talking, Bridget discovered Rukiya is a fellow Green Thumb, and the idea for this storyline/character introduction was born.

For the challenge, I only begin tracking the age of a townie or "NPC" Sim once they become involved in the storyline (e.g. romantic interest, childhood friend) of one of my playable Sims (at this point in the story, only the Tevellyn family is a playable household). Since the other 7 original NPCs will appear much later in the story, I didn't want them to seem immortal, so I chose to include other background Sims for the purpose of this chapter. As such, none of the characters in this chapter – other than Rukiya and Bridget – are in my challenge save file.


	7. Chapter 6: The Tevellyn House

If you'd told 20-year-old Altman that he'd grow old farming and teaching toddlers to walk and talk, he wouldn't have believed you. Back then, he still dreamed of being a CEO and living in a swanky penthouse with a wife and a kid or two. He'd never imagined he'd have five children, nor that his main sources of income would be fishing and gardening.

Yet, he felt fulfilled. Seeing the joy in Emery and Matthew's eyes when he told them to get ready to go fishing, listening to Aria make up songs, reading with Ryker and hearing Mason's baby sounds made every day feel worth it. Each one had their own personality and unique perspectives on their little world. They amazed him everyday with how much they were able to learn – and teach him.

The only problem was how quickly they seemed to be growing up! Ryker just turned 4 – he'd proudly mastered his Sim-E-Zees and could count to 10. It felt like yesterday that Ryker was a giggling baby and Aria was a toddler relentlessly banging on her xylophone... In reality, those days had long passed; their newest family member, Mason, was the only one who was still a baby.

The eldest two Tevellyn children would resent being called 'children' at all. Emery was insistent that she was a teenager now, and Matthew wasn't far behind. Unfortunately, he'd discovered the word "preteen" – whether from books, that darn computer, or from Dorothy Button, Altman didn't know – but Matthew had decided that this meant he wasn't "a little kid like Aria." Matthew was just over three years older than Aria, and they got along well when they were younger. Even Altman had to admit that Aria's incessant singing could get annoying, but he suspected that Dorothy's influence had more to do with it than Aria's actions.

Dorothy was around almost every Sunday since she and Matthew had met. They were so close that when Matthew learned he and Dorothy's birthdays were both in the fall, he'd insisted on including her in his celebrations, and with her own cake. Altman wasn't sure if it was genuinely Matthew's idea since their birthdays were so close, or if Dorothy had convinced him. Matthew was such a sweet kid, it really could have been either. Regardless, it was clear that Matthew desperately wanted the experience of a "real" birthday party, and since he didn't know any other kids, Altman and Bridget had obliged.

At least now perhaps he'd have more time to spend with the kids. He'd been especially busy getting the garden up and running this spring due Mason's arrival, but Bridget had found them some help. Bridget's first trip down to the community garden was usually in the early spring, but this year she had to wait until mid-summer. She expected to find the plants neglected, overgrown and wilting, but was pleasantly surprised to find that someone had taken care of them. Bridget had been lucky enough to meet that someone – Rukiya Shabani – and offered her a job helping them with their home garden. Altman was happy to have some skilled help; he felt a bit run-down after working so hard for the first half of the season.

Rukiya's first day was a hot and sunny one. Bridget jogged over to greet her as she came up the hill.

"So glad you're here," she beamed. "It looks like a manageable size, but it's hard to get to it all and keep an eye on the kids."

"I can imagine," Rukiya returned her smile. "Especially with a new baby."

"Especially with a new baby," Bridget chuckled.

"At least we're not _all_ little kids anymore," Emery interjected. She walked around her mother, surveying their guest. The young woman didn't look much like a gardener or a nanny, but she certainly was beautiful; her skin was a richer tone than her own and her dark locks seemed to have a natural wave or curl to them. Her hair was pulled back into a practical, high pony tail, but the sides were delicately braided. She didn't wear much makeup, but she didn't have to. Emery wanted to retract her earlier thought; this woman wasn't just beautiful, she was _gorgeous_.

"I'm—uh, I'm done cleaning and stocking the pond," Emery sputtered.

"Thanks, hon," Bridget replied. "This is Rukiya, she'll be helping us with the garden sometimes. I met her at the community garden – she's got quite the green thumb."

Emery turned to Rukiya and shook her hand. "Hi," she said shyly. "I'm Emery."

"Rukiya Shabani," the young woman replied with a smile. "I'm hoping to move here if I can save enough money. Your mom is helping me out."

"That's a beautiful name," Emery said. "Do you mind if I ask where its from?"

"Not at all," Rukiya answered. Her smile was radiant. "It's Swahili. I was born here, but my mother was an immigrant. I'm not fluent anymore, unfortunately, but it's a language and culture with many beautiful names. Emery is very nice, as well," she added.

"Thanks," Emery blushed. "Um, well, I'm going to go have lunch. Let me know if you want anything."

Rukiya nodded politely, still smiling. ' _Radiant,_ ' Emery's brain echoed. ' _ **That's**_ _what a radiant smile looks like._ ' She hurried off before she said anything embarrassing.

Bridget showed Rukiya around and things went much more smoothly at the Tevellyn household over the next few months thanks to her help. Emery also became much more interested in gardening since Rukiya showed up, and began pitching in as well.

That left Matthew with more responsibility for watching over the younger kids, but it wasn't a huge inconvenience for him. Ever the avid reader and writer, Matthew was working on plans for a series of novels based on his encounters with the black unicorn. He hoped to complete his first book, _Aasifa Imagined_ , before the next growing season started. He had a mysteriously strong feeling that Aasifa was the unicorn's name and no idea how he could have made it up on his own, so he chalked it up to 'unicorn magic' and Aasifa became what he called her both in his book and when he saw her in-person.

For the most part, Ryker and Mason were easy to look after. Matthew could work on the computer while they played. They got along well and rarely fought over toys. Ryker was excitable enough that if Mason wanted a certain toy or bugged him to play together, he was just happy his brother took an interest in something and would cooperate.

Aria was often around, too. She'd started learning to bake with a toy oven their parents had bought for the playroom and was getting rather good. If the toddlers were particularly fussy one day, Matthew would ask her to make them cookies and instruct the boys that they wouldn't get any unless they played nicely and asked politely for what they wanted. It worked like a charm.

* * *

Rooted in their shared love of gardening, Bridget and Rukiya's working relationship blossomed into a close friendship. All the Tevellyns were grateful to have someone new to talk to, and Rukiya was grateful for how warmly she was welcomed into their family. The Tevellyns were an invaluable support to her, emotionally as well as financially. She wasn't alone anymore.

Naturally, Rukiya agreed to work for them again in the following growing season and extended her stay at the boarding house.

Rukiya used some of her winter time off to spend a couple weeks in the nearby city of Bridgeport. Bridget and Altman were surprised to hear she'd seen little besides the Bridgeport Metropolitan Airport before she caught a taxi to Appaloosa Plains and encouraged her to "see the sights" and "enjoy what the city has to offer." Emery was a little bitter that they'd encouraged Rukiya to leave, but was excited to hear about her trip. When Rukiya returned, Emery made delightedly listened to her recount every detail. She'd made some new friends and found a potential future roommate to help cover the bills once her house was built. Emery was happy for Rukiya, but her smile faltered at the mention of a roommate.

"I'll introduce you soon," Rukiya assured her. "But it's getting late and I should get back to the boarding house."

Emery tried to busy herself with a new painting, but she couldn't stop wondering who Rukiya might have been talking about. Would it just be a roommate, or was it someone she wanted to date? Or even some more basic information – was it a guy or a girl? Or maybe one of those people she'd read about who didn't believe they fit into one sex or the other? _What if it was someone she was already having sex with?!_ Rukiya had never mentioned anyone 'special' in her life, past nor present… and Emery desperately hoped she didn't want this roommate to become her _boyfriend_.

She blinked and realized she must have been painting for quite a while – it was dark outside her window and the main elements of her tortoise's terrarium were all on the canvas. But she wasn't happy with her work; it seemed a bit washed out – like she'd been using too much water with the paint. She looked down at her supplies and vaguely recalled mindlessly dunking her brush into her cup of water. With a sigh, she decided to revisit it later.

Emery changed into her pajamas, flicked off the light and climbed into bed. Maybe trying to sleep would help her thoughts stop spinning around in her head. She stared at the ceiling through the dull glow her tortoise's heat lamp cast upon the room. She sighed, then turned to her side. She stared at the wall. She tried keeping her eyes shut. She tried focusing on each part of her body, one at a time, and trying to relax it. She turned to her other side. Her tortoise's head was peeking out of his shell. He didn't seem to be doing anything in particular. Frustrated, she pulled her pillow out from under her head and dropped it onto her face.

"Ugh," she muttered.

It was no use. She couldn't sleep. Emery got back out of bed, flicked on the light, and sat looking at her painting. ' _Might as well try to fix it, since I'm up,'_ she thought.

Emery blotted paint onto the canvas and tried to bring the image into focus, but it was still wet, so it ended up looking sort of… wobbly? She frowned. It didn't seem salvageable at this point. She sat on the edge of her bed and looked out the window. _'It must be only a couple hours from daybreak at this point,'_ she shook her head at herself. _'You're being ridiculous.'_ She flicked off the light, said goodnight to the tortoise, and got into bed. Maybe she could get a couple hours in before the kids started making noise.

* * *

Emery managed to extract a few details about the mysterious-potential-roommate over the spring. It was a guy, Rukiya visited him on a few weekends, and he'd come to visit the boarding house once. His name was _Shaun_. It put a bad taste in Emery's mouth just thinking about it… _Shaun_.

Otherwise, the growing season was pretty uneventful. Altman couldn't work in the garden as much anymore – it bothered his knees – but since they had Rukiya and Emery helping out, he could spend his days fishing.

By Ryker's birthday that summer, Rukiya had selected a property and was in the process of getting the paperwork in order to purchase it. She excitedly told Emery all about her ideas for her house. The teenager was an enthusiastic audience until Bridget joined their conversation. Emery's attention waned as her friend and her mother discussed the approval process that would be required, finding a work crew that would take on a new build all the way out in Appaloosa Plains, and other not-very-exciting details that needed to be ironed out.

Matthew and Dorothy turned thirteen a few months later. As was tradition (although Emery didn't fully understand _why_ it was), the Tevellyns hosted a joint birthday party for them. Aria always made a point of not cheering for Dorothy and cheering extra loudly when it was Matthew's turn. Emery and Ryker snickered at the sidelines. Neither of them particularly liked Dorothy, but Aria really seemed to hate her.

When everyone finished their cake, Bridget encouraged everyone to head inside. She gave Matthew a knowing smile, "Just collect the dishes and bring them inside when you're done hanging out, okay?"

"I will," Matthew called after her.

He and Dorothy stood up from the picnic table. She turned to start stacking the dishes, but Matthew reached out and lightly touched her arm.

"Hey, um, Dorothy?" he began. "We're best friends, right?"

"Duh," Dorothy snickered and prodded Matthew's arm.

He put a hand on the back of his neck. "Would it… um… ruin it if I… ugh," he muttered.

"If you what?" Dorothy asked.

"I—I have a crush on you," he admitted.

Dorothy looked away and shifted her weight.

"Ugh, sorry, I knew I shouldn't have—" Matthew covered his face. "Forget I said anything?"

' _You ruined it_ ,' his inner voice told him. ' _Now it's going to be weird, and she'll never visit you again._ '

But Dorothy surprised him by lowering his hand from his face. When their eyes met, she looked away again. "No, it's okay… I'm glad you… um," she stumbled over her solemn reply. "It's just… it's one thing for us to be best friends, Matt, but we shouldn't date."

"Well I wasn't saying—wait, what? Why not?" he asked, eyes wide.

"You don't really know me," she answered, her tone somehow even more somber than before.

"What? Of course I do. We grew up together! What are you talking about?" Matthew moved to return her touch, but she moved back. "...What's wrong?"

"There are things I haven't told you..."

"There are things I haven't told you either!" Matthew protested. "Like how I'm _just now_ saying I like you… or like what I think I want to do with my life…" he trailed off.

Dorothy looked skeptical. "Aren't you going to have a farm like your parents or be a writer?"

"Well, yeah, I guess," Matthew said.

"Has something changed?" Dorothy asked.

Matthew looked away but she continued to stare expectantly.

"I like writing, but there's more to life than working or whatever," Matthew said quietly. "There's… there's something else I really wanna' do…"

Dorothy tilted her head slightly, but said nothing, hoping he'd elaborate.

Matthew used another moment to think. "Ugh… How can I explain this?" he muttered. "Uh, okay… You know how I'm writing those books about a unicorn?"

She furrowed her brow, but nodded.

"See? You think it's dumb, this is why I—"

"No, no—" Dorothy interrupted. "Well, I mean, it is a _bit_ dumb, but you were a little kid when you thought of it—"

"I didn't make it up, okay?!" Matthew snapped.

Dorothy blinked, confused.

"I really…" he sighed deeply. "I really have seen a unicorn. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I even fed it an apple once."

Dorothy's eyes began to widen, but it seemed the floodgates were open. No longer trapped in secrecy, words continued to spill from Matthew's mouth.

"It's a girl and her name is Aasifa and I don't even know how I know that, like, it really is crazy, but I just somehow _know_. That's why I named her that in my books. I didn't make it up. I have no idea what language that name is even from! I've never heard anything like it. And, oh, she's _so_ beautiful, Dorothy, I mean really gorgeous. Like the most beautiful horse you've ever seen but with a beautiful horn on her head. She's got a black coat and black mane but the horn is lighter, kinda' beige, like a bone or something. She's incredible. I'm becoming friends with her and I want to adopt her one day, if she'll let me."

He paused for breath. Dorothy stood in stunned silence.

Suddenly he seemed to realize what had just happened. His face fell into an apologetic expression.

"Plum, I must sound crazy…" he covered his face again.

"A bit," Dorothy admitted sympathetically.

Matthew paused and took a deep breath. "Let me try to explain a bit better," he began. "Ever since I met Aasifa, I've been reading up on unicorns—"

"Of course you have."

"—and apparently there have been other encounters, here, in Appaloosa Plains. They're said to have magical powers of some kind. Bloggers are claiming all sorts of things… most of it's probably fake, but some say that unicorns have evil powers that played a role in the town's death."

Dorothy seemed intrigued. "Really? How?"

"I'm not sure," Matthew replied. "But I wanna' find out. I think it's important to the new town's survival to know if unicorns are a threat… The one I've met seems rather calm and friendly, but it's hard to say—I could be mistaking its majesty for goodness. ...That sounded dumb. I mean—"

She chuckled. "It's okay, Matthew… Maybe take a break from talking a minute."

He winced. "Yeah, sorry…"

"It's just a lot to take in," she added with a half-hearted smile.

Matthew rubbed his face and took another deep breath. "I haven't told anyone any of this, you know. Not even Em," he admitted quietly, looking into Dorothy's eyes.

"I don't think you're crazy, Matt," she said to reassure him. "Just be careful, okay? Like you said, it might be dangerous. And we're still kids."

" _Teens_ , now," Matthew corrected, playfully nudging her arm. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

They smiled at one another.

"So, I told you mine, now will you tell me yours?" he smirked. "What have you not told me?"

It was Dorothy's turn to hesitate.

"It seems silly now," she finally said, shyly looking at her feet.

"It's okay," Matthew smiled. "You can tell me. Can't be crazier than what I just said."

"Exactly," she chuckled. "I just, I was embarrassed to say—because you seem to have it all figured out," she paused again, then finally said quietly, "I have no idea what I want to do… I don't even know what I'm good at."

Matthew smiled even wider and squeezed her arms to comfort her. "Is that all? We're thirteen, we have our whole lives…You don't have to have life all figured out."

She looked up at him, almost wincing. "Really?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied. "Even if you don't figure it out… well, my dad thought he wanted to be a CEO of some big company, but the city wasn't for him… He had to move back home and ended up delivering mail for a while, you know."

She smiled, so he continued, "That's how he met my mom, and they're happy… They built all this… our farm, our family. But he didn't have to know what he wanted or plan it out. He just did what felt right."

"Thanks," Dorothy said quietly.

An awkward silence ensued.

"Hey, Dorothy?" Matthew began again.

"Yeah?" Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him. They were a deep grey, almost a pale purple. They glistened in the afternoon sun. Matthew thought his heart might skip a beat.

"I like you," he said softly. "You're my best friend. You don't have to worry about what I'll think of you... I—I think I'll care about you no matter what."

She responded with another small smile.

"Can I—" he swallowed. "Can I kiss you?"

Dorothy nodded shyly. Matthew drew her close, tilted his head and kissed her gently. Her lips were soft and felt even nicer than he'd imagined.

When their lips parted, Dorothy pulled him closer into a tight hug.

"I like you, too," she admitted. "A lot."

' _He bought it,_ ' she thought. ' _That was close. I can't believe I was almost dumb enough to tell him... Luckily his mom and dad's love story works in my favor; we basically met the same way… The only problem is... I think I'm falling for him._ '

* * *

...

 _ **Author's Notes:**_

As with the previous chapter, I had to embellish Rukiya's story a bit compared to my actual gameplay. As per the Build A City Challenge, it would cost extra money for my Sims to visit any other towns. In reality, Rukiya met her 'mysterious-potential-roommate' at Cinnamon Crest Falls. Since there isn't really a good reason for random townies to be hanging around there unless they fish or something, I decided that for the purposes of the story, she met them in Bridgeport. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 7: Cinnamon Falls & Rukiya's Lot

Emery looked out over the water and listened to the waterfall crash into the surface. The view would usually calm her down, but today she fidgeted nervously. It was chilly outside and she regretted not wearing a sweater or jeans. She'd fussed over her outfit, struggling with whether or not she should try to look more grown up. But she didn't want to look like she was trying too hard and wasn't sure what exactly she was trying to achieve in the first place, so she went with her lilac blouse and jean shorts. It was her usual go-to, practical and pretty. It was as good as any choice for today's trip to the Falls.

' _What is taking her so long?_ ' she wondered impatiently. ' _Probably_ _ **his**_ _fault…_ '

Her fingers tugged a loose thread on the hem of her shirt and she felt the seam contract.

' _Calm down_ ,' she urged herself as she tried to stretch the hem back to its regular length.

"You alright?" she heard a familiar voice ask from behind her. Rukiya had finally arrived.

"Y-yeah," Emery sputtered. "Sorry, just feeling a bit off lately."

Rukiya smiled sympathetically. "You seem a bit nervous about this."

Emery looked down at her feet.

"We're always going to be friends, you know," Rukiya said, lightly touching her hand to Emery's arm. "You don't need to be worried."

Emery's heart sank. ' _What if I want to be more than friends?_ ' she wanted to ask.

Instead she said, "You don't need to baby me. I'm 15, not a child." It came out more sharply than she intended.

"I didn't mean—"

"No, sorry, you weren't…" Emery trailed off and changed the subject. "So, where is he?"

"Shaun should be here any minute," Rukiya replied. "I wanted you to be the first to meet him, but I also wanted to make sure you were okay with that, first."

' _Why wouldn't I be okay with it?_ ' Emery thought, but resisted the urge to snap at her again. She didn't want Rukiya to feel bad, and didn't entirely understand why this bothered her so much in the first place. It's not like Rukiya knew how she felt about her… How could she, when Emery herself was confused?

"I don't want you to feel like having Shaun in my life means that you're a smaller part of it," Rukiya smiled. "You're like a sister to me, Em, and no boyfriend is going to change that."

The word cut like a knife in such an unfamiliar way. In some ways, Rukiya did feel like a sister to Emery as well, didn't she? Still, 'sister' didn't feel like the best word for what Emery wanted. But what did she want? Right now, she wanted her head to stop spinning.

Rukiya's smile faded. "Are you okay, Em? You're not going to lose me, okay?"

Emery struggled to find a way to respond. She didn't know what she wanted to say, but all the words she knew where somehow stuck in her throat. Would she _be able_ to respond? ' _Plum, this feels like such a mess. Just SAY something… tell her…tell her—something._ '

Emery raised her arms, about to speak. She still wasn't sure what was going to come out of her mouth.

"I—" she stuttered. "I know I'm not going to lose you, Rukiya… I just…"

Before she could find more words, a big lemon of a sedan pulled up the road. The young women looked over as a man with caramel-colored skin emerged from the driver's side. Emery looked up at Rukiya to find she was beaming at him.

' _She seems happy,_ ' Emery thought. ' _Why does that annoy me so much? Isn't it good if she's happy?_ '

"Emery," Rukiya announced as the man approached. "This is Shaun Kiffle, the guy who will be moving in with me."

Shaun was smiling, too, but he scoffed at the introduction. "Well, I'm not sure about that yet."

' _At least moving in together isn't a sure thing,_ ' Emery thought, knowing the idea of Rukiya living with a man shouldn't bother her so much. Would she feel the same way if she was just being protective of a friend?

Shaun reached out a hand and Emery shook it.

"Emery Tevellyn," she said flatly.

"Nice to meet you," he replied.

Emery felt like something was off about him. ' _Give him a chance,_ ' she told herself. ' _Rukiya likes him, isn't that enough to give him 5 minutes before judging him?_ '

After a brief but awkward silence, Emery made herself ask, "So, you live in Bridgeport?"

"Yeah," Shaun smiled. He seemed thankful that someone else spoke up. "And you grew up here? Must've been an, uh, interesting experience?"

"I don't really have anything to compare it to, but I guess so," Emery replied. "I assume you know my parents have a garden, since Rukiya works with us?"

"She mentioned it," Shaun smiled at his girlfriend. "She's very fond of your family. Really likes it here."

"And you like it in the city?" Emery asked.

"Heh, yeah," Shaun began hesitantly.

"Shaun's a photographer," Rukiya explained, beaming. "I've been trying to get him out here more to see how beautiful it is – it's why I wanted to meet here at the Falls." She looked at Shaun, "I'm sure you could really focus on your art here."

Shaun looked uneasy. "There's not a lot of money in 'focusing on your art,'" he said. "I work as a paparazzi," he added, glancing back at Emery.

Emery nodded. "Not a lot of celebrities out here to snoop on," she smiled.

Shaun returned the smile. "No," he chuckled. "And speaking of which, I'm really sorry—I can't actually stay in town as long as I'd hoped."

"Oh?" Rukiya asked with a frown.

"Some up-and-comer sent a last-minute RSVP to this club event," he sighed dismissively. "Wish I could skip it, but a good shot could be worth a few hundred 'oleans."

"Of course, don't worry about it," Rukiya said, although clearly disappointed.

"We can swing by your lot, though, if you want? I can take photos to pass on to the architect?" Shaun added as consolation.

"Sure," she replied with a half-hearted smile.

"Great," he said. "I'll wait in the car while you say goodbye. It was nice to meet you, Emery."

With that, he walked back towards the road.

"Nice guy," Emery said sarcastically once he was out of earshot.

"He is, once you get to know him," Rukiya said softly. "Sorry, Emery, there was supposed to be time for that today."

"It's okay."

"It doesn't seem okay."

Emery walked around Rukiya towards a better fishing spot in the lake. "You should go," she said quietly. "He's waiting for you."

"Emery—"

"It's okay," she said, looking back at Rukiya. She had a sad look in her eyes that Rukiya hadn't seen before. "Just go. We'll catch up later."

Rukiya sighed and headed towards Shaun's grey sedan. It bothered her that Emery still seemed unsettled by her relationship with Shaun. ' _Is she worried about things changing, or is something else bothering her?_ ' she wondered. She hoped her relationship with Shaun wouldn't cause them to grow apart. She opened the passenger side door and glanced back at the Falls. Emery had already cast her line and didn't look like she'd turn to wave goodbye.

' _Maybe it's just teenage angst,_ ' Rukiya sighed as she got into the car.

"Everything okay?" Shaun asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied sadly.

Shaun started up the old sedan and began driving down the hill towards town.

"Sorry we couldn't spend more time with your friend Emily," he said.

"Emery," Rukiya corrected. "It's alright. She wasn't in a great mood anyway."

"Right, _Emery_ , sorry… Does sound like someone with a speech impediment trying to say Emily, though."

"Don't be a dick!" Rukiya snapped, shoving his arm.

" _Plum_ , sorry, you'd think I insulted your mother or something," Shaun rolled his eyes. "She's just some kid."

Rukiya glared at him, hoping he could feel her annoyance even if he was too busy focusing on the road to see it.

"She's not 'just some kid,'" she grumbled. "She's like a sister to me, so don't be an ass. Plus, she's a teenager, but she's really not that much younger than me. She's closer in age to me than she is to her two youngest brothers."

"That's because people who live way out in places like this have way too many kids over way too long," Shaun retorted. "Isn't their youngest, like, a baby? And the oldest is a teenager? That's too much of a gap for a planned pregnancy between the same parents, in my books."

"Sure, the oldest and youngest are like 13 years apart, but I think it's great for Bridget and Altman. Having two little ones is helping them stay young in a lot of ways. And they needed to take the break because they were focused on expanding their house first," Rukiya explained. "Take the next right," she added.

Shaun did as he was instructed but glanced in the opposite direction, towards the boarding house.

"Your new place will be between the boarding house and your work then, that's good at least," he commented, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah," Rukiya agreed. "It's another right up here, the lot is up the street from the community garden."

They sat in silence for a moment until Rukiya gave her last directions, "It's the first lot on the right, at the curve in the road."

Shaun slowed down. "By the weird cat sign?" he asked.

"Sorry I didn't remove the old road signs before buying the property," she huffed. "Can you just park?"

"So touchy today," Shaun sighed. "Just have no idea why they'd need a plummy weird cat sign."

Shaun maneuvered the car to park partly on the sidewalk and grass across the street from Rukiya's new lot. The mailboxes and municipality-issued garbage bins were strangely aligned near the property lines, but he decided to keep his mouth shut since Rukiya was already annoyed.

They climbed out of the vehicle and walked over. Rukiya turned and pointed down the street.

"See? You can see the community garden from here," she smiled. "Most of this side is public land, including the white picket fence area, I think. So the only neighbors will be on the other side. It'll be a quiet, dead-end street, but right next to downtown."

' _Quiet dead-end is right,_ ' Shaun thought. Again, he thought better of voicing that opinion. Instead, he turned back to the lot. "So your property starts by the mailbox and goes..?"

"It extends from by the mailbox back towards that fence, it ends maybe 10 or 20 feet short of it," Rukiya proudly explained. "Then it extends along that line to make it square. Some of the lot doesn't go right to the road's edge, where it curves. It's perfectly square. That means I can plant some trees 'round that side for added privacy."

' _Who in the world would you need privacy from out here?_ ' Shaun wondered. ' _Is she delusional enough to believe that many more people will_ _ **actually**_ _move out here?_ '

Still, he followed her lead as she toured him around the square patch of grass. ' _It's level, at least,_ ' he observed. ' _Should make the build easier._ '

"So what do you think?" Rukiya asked cheerfully. "It's perfect for me, right?"

Shaun hesitated, but knew what he was supposed to say. "It's great," he agreed. "I'll get my camera bag from the car and take a few shots for you."

Rukiya's smile widened and she kissed him lightly. "Thank you!" she exclaimed. "I knew you'd like it!"


	9. Chapter 8: The Tevellyn House

Matthew felt on top of the world. Dorothy agreed to be his totally-official-and-everything _girlfriend_. At exactly 13-years old he'd had his first kiss; another month and he had his first girlfriend. He was, undeniably, _killing it_ at this 'teenage boy' thing.

Winter provided prime opportunities to enjoy his new-found bliss. Not only did he finally have someone to talk to about Aasifa and his real hopes for the future, but he could also kiss and cuddle his best friend! Life was _awesome_.

On top of it all, Matthew's first novel, _Aasifa Imagined_ , was a modest hit on the e-book circuit. He knew he'd have to keep improving if he wanted to earn real money as a writer, but for a young teen, he also knew he was – again – _killing it_. He wasted no time getting started on the sequel, _Aasifa Met_. Dorothy was a bit annoyed that Matthew was so much more focused on his writing than on her, especially when she was over on the weekend. But she tried her best to be supportive.

* * *

Aria, on the other hand, resented Dorothy's presence. They'd never gotten along, and it didn't look like that was going to change any time soon. Aria tried her best to avoid arguing with Matthew about it, but she worried he was blind to Dorothy's true nature. Not only was Dorothy awful to Aria, but she wasn't exactly ' _nice_ ' to anyone but Matthew. Once, she'd seen Dorothy steal a lollipop from Mason, before he even turned 2!

As a result, Aria spent more time with her younger brothers. The snow melted away as spring made its entrance and the kids quickly took advantage of the warmer weather. Aria would often head over to the playroom in her pajamas, with Mason in tow. He was still a bit wobbly, but could walk over on his own as long as she held the doors open for him. They usually played well together; their favorites were the animals stored in the toybox and the activity table blocks. Ryker especially loved building "epic" towers. Aria was usually more focused on making sure Mason didn't eat any blocks.

One morning, still in their pajamas as well, Altman and Matthew went over to the playroom just in time to intervene before a fight broke out over the blocks. Mason had accidentally collapsed Ryker's tower by yanking out one of the blocks from near the bottom.

"Ryker he wasn't trying to knock it down," Aria huffed. "He's a _baby_ , so _you_ should stop acting like one!"

"I'm NOT being a baby! HE'S being DUMB!" Ryker exclaimed.

Mason was about to start wailing when Matthew hurried in and scooped up the toddler.

"Good morning," Altman said, eyebrows raised. "Everything okay out here?"

Aria and Ryker glared at each other.

"I'm going to go fishing," Aria said flatly as she stood up.

"Why don't I teach you how to play chess, then, Ryker? If you're done with the blocks for now?" their father asked.

Ryker pushed all the blocks into their spot in the middle of the table and silently moved to one of the chairs at the chess table. Still annoyed, he tried to hide his excitement, but that was hard to do for such an excitable boy.

* * *

Altman and Matthew continued to take care of the kids while Bridget, Rukiya and Emery worked on the garden. It was Rukiya's third growing season with the family, and if her house was finished on time, it might be her last. By the following spring, she hoped to have her own property to focus on.

Sunday newspapers began being delivered again that summer. "Probably by some other kid whose parents think a dumb job will make them behave better," according to Dorothy.

Aria was the first to notice him. She was painting outside when she glanced up and saw a boy walking up to the house with a bag of newspapers slung over his shoulder. His skin looked tanned; whether it was that tone naturally or darkened by the sun, she wasn't sure. She set down her paintbrush and stepped off her stool. She looked up at the sun; it was high in the sky. This delivery boy was _very_ late compared to his normal delivery time. ' _Irresponsible_ ,' she concluded. She looked around. Her parents didn't seem to notice him; her mom was chatting with Rukiya and her dad was teaching Mason some new words. She'd have to handle this herself.

Aria walked towards him. "Who're you?" she asked curtly.

"More importantly," the boy retorted, "why is your dad in his pajamas outside?"

"It's a free country," Aria snapped. "You delivering the newspaper now?"

"Duh," the boy rolled his eyes.

Aria reached out a hand to take the newspaper, but the boy dropped it on the ground.

"Why did you do that?" Aria growled.

"It's a free country," he mocked.

Aria clenched her fists. The boy just sneered and walked away.

' _Dumb boys,_ ' Aria thought. ' _He was so rude!_ '

After a few silent encounters and dirty looks across the lawn, Aria finally decided to approach the newspaper boy again.

"I'm Aria," she said flatly.

"Chase," he said.

Aria crossed her arms. "You were rude to me."

"You were kinda' rude, too," Chase said, rolling his eyes.

He took out a newspaper and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

He turned to go, but Aria reached out and touched his shoulder.

"Um," she hesitated. "Do you… like movies?"

Chase rolled his eyes again, but smiled at her. "Yeah, _good_ movies," he replied.

They debated a while about what made a movie 'good,' until Chase said he should probably get going.

"My dad's going to pick me up soon," he explained. "But I'll see you around?"

Aria nodded. "Bye."

* * *

When Aria was painting, she was focused on her art, but when she was fishing, she enjoyed using the time to think. Initially, she wanted to learn to fish because she saw how much her father and older siblings enjoyed it, but now she was grateful she had. There was something peaceful in it; it was calming to go to the backyard pond, cast a line and get lost in her thoughts.

She thought about Chase often. At first, she angrily thought about how rude and irresponsible he was, but over time her opinion softened. After their second conversation, she hoped they could become friends… It would be nice to have a friend her own age.

One evening as Aria marched into the backyard with her fishing rod, she saw Matthew sitting at one of the picnic tables near the pond, reading a pink and red book. Aria recognized it from the shelf. She'd read the back; it sounded sappy and dumb. ' _Watcher, is he_ _ **that**_ _in love?!_ ' she wondered. She tried to push the thought from her mind. ' _It's not your business,_ ' she told herself, but another thought retorted, ' _Uhm, yeah, it is! He's my brother._ '

Aria turned her attention to the pond and cast her line where a few fish were swimming. ' _I'm here to practice, not argue over the evil witch,_ ' she reminded herself.

But as determined as she was to enjoy a peaceful evening of fishing, she was _more_ determined to make Matthew see the truth about his evil-witch-of-a-girlfriend. Her silence didn't last long.

"So, are you in love with that paper delivery witch?"

"She has a name, Aria," Matthew replied flatly.

"Ugh," Aria said, then in a silly voice, "Are you in love with Dorothy?"

"Why?" he asked.

"'Cuz you're reading some dumb love book," she sneered as she reeled in a goldfish.

Matthew scoffed. "It's definitely a dumb book, you're right."

Aria peered over her shoulder at him. "You haven't answered my question."

"I don't know," Matthew said, as if disinterested. "It's whatever."

"UGH!" Aria exclaimed. "Why are boys so dumb?"

"Hey!" Matthew protested, finally actually looking up from the book.

"Well you are!" she snapped. ' _Aria,_ ' she heard her mom's voice in her head. ' _What did we say about being civil?_ ' She took a deep breath.

"You obviously like her a lot," she huffed. "You've been all _gross_ since your birthday. I was just wondering if you think it's ' _love_ ,' jeez."

Matthew looked back at his book. Aria peered over her shoulder again and was displeased to see he'd returned to reading. She sighed. A few minutes passed.

"Just be careful," Aria finally said, and sighed again. "I don't trust her one bit."

"You don't say," he said sarcastically.

"Okay, whatever, don't say I didn't warn you," she replied quietly, with only a fraction of the annoyance she felt.

"You've made it super clear you hate her, okay? I don't need reminding," Matthew scoffed.

"Like you know anything about her," he added under his breath.

Matthew sat in the awkward silence and tried to read. It really _was_ a terrible book, which made it difficult. But it was the only romance novel in the house, and he was looking for ideas around romantic language for his third novel. Definitely not for his interactions with Dorothy...

Aria caught another goldfish. "That's 5," she said to no one in particular. "Don't want to over-exert our little guys."

She tossed the fish back into the pond and dusted off her pants, which were a bit dirty from handling the fish. It didn't help. She began to walk away, but stopped and turned back towards Matthew.

"You're my brother," she said.

He looked up, "I know."

"I love you," she said.

"I know that, too," he said more softly. "I love you too."

Aria gave him a little smile. "Good," she said quietly, and turned back to continue towards the house.

"I'm your sister, so you better!" she called back to him without turning around.

Matthew smiled, then turned back to his book, and tried to get through it.

The family ended the growing season with a birthday party for Bridget.

Emery and Matthew helped Altman set up tables and a stereo by the pond, while Aria and Ryker were in charge of the balloons. Aria invited Chase to stay for the party when came by with the newspaper, and Rukiya and Dorothy joined them shortly after.

Bridget was inside playing with Mason when she heard the music blaring in the yard. She went outside to see her four older children, her husband, Rukiya, Dorothy and Chase dancing and cheering as she approached.

"Mason will be fine for a while, mom, come join us! It's your birthday!" Emery smiled.

"We'll take turns checking on him, love," Altman added. "Come here."

They danced away the morning and were ready to have cake for lunch. Matthew lit the candles and stood back. The small crowd erupted into cheers as Bridget prepared to blow out her candles.

Suddenly, the reality hit her: she was becoming a senior Sim! _Was she ready for this? How had the day come so quickly?!_

It felt as though her body had changed before her eyes. _Were those really_ _ **her**_ _sunspot-covered hands? How long had her hair been going grey that there was now scarcely a brown strand on her head?_

Not wanting to alert her children to her alarm, she quietly took a piece of cake and allowed Emery to serve the other slices. She glanced back at Altman for reassurance. He didn't disappoint: his eyes looked at her in the same way they always had, and his smile seemed as genuine as ever. They may have grown a lot together – and now grown old – but their love was still alive and well. As cheesy as it was, the thought comforted her.

Altman excused himself to check on Mason as everyone got their slices and sat down to enjoy the cake. Everyone except Emery, that is. She said she didn't want any yet because Matthew and Dorothy were making her gag, but truthfully, her stomach had been in knots since Rukiya arrived.

When Rukiya joined them that morning, she quickly caught Emery in a hug. Before the teen could say anything, Aria turned up the music and Rukiya pulled Emery over to dance. Caught up in staring at her beauty and trying not to stare, Emery hadn't managed to utter a word before her mother came outside and everyone began to cheer.

Now Emery felt a bit sick to her stomach. She'd become more and more certain over the past year that she had a _major_ crush on Rukiya. Days like today always had her thoughts racing. ' _Could this just be a friendship-type love? Rukiya is someone I care about and look up to, not to mention one of the only people I know outside of my family… But it feels like more than that, right? How do people know? Does this mean I'm gay? How do people know what their sexual orientation is? Should it be more obvious to me?_ '

She wished she could talk to Matthew and ask him how he knew he liked Dorothy, or at least for his advice on how to admit to someone you liked them. He had a girlfriend and had begun working on a romance novel, so she figured he must have a better idea than she did. She felt utterly uninformed.

Unfortunately, Dorothy was flirty as hell, and Matthew ate it up. When they were together, they were inseparable. Any questions Emery had would have to wait.

* * *

After all the excitement, Bridget was exhausted by the late afternoon. She went inside and changed into a nightgown. As she climbed into bed for a nap, Altman knocked lightly and came into their bedroom.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

"Just tired," Bridget smiled. "Could you make dinner later, if I'm still asleep?"

"I can make it either way, hon," Altman replied.

"May I join you for a minute?" he added.

Bridget nodded, so Altman sat on the bed and adjusted the pillow. He lay next to her and offered her a place under in his arm. She smiled and leaned onto his shoulder.

"You sure nothing's troubling you, Bridge?" Altman asked with a knowing smile.

She thread her fingers into his and looked up into his eyes.

"Was it selfish of me, to raise our family here?" she asked quietly.

"You know I worried about the kids meeting others their age. If I thought we'd be happier and better off moving, I would have let you know… The kids have all had great childhoods, with a lot of freedom," Altman said. "They may not have had the same education as we did, but they haven't been idle – they've all explored their talents and developed skills… I still worry that they may struggle to make friends and about how they would handle a traditional workplace, but they communicate well and they'll have each other for support."

Bridget still looked unsure. "I don't know if I'd still choose to live here if I'd known there wouldn't be others moving here, too. I feel like I isolated them, and now that they're growing up… the impacts are clearer."

"We can't predict the future, Bridge. You can't blame yourself for that. Were you only thinking of yourself when you chose to live here?"

She looked down and said nothing.

"Doesn't sound like the Bridget I know," Altman continued. "As I remember, part of why you came here was to raise a family away from the small towns you hated growing up in."

"I didn't want them to grow up in a town _so_ small that _no one_ else lived there, either," Bridget scoffed. " _Some_ neighbors would have been nice to have."

Altman smiled at her. "There's nothing we can change about how things played out. You can't blame yourself… your intentions were good."

"I suppose," she said quietly. "My intentions don't change the fact that the only kids they've met have been delinquents whose parents force them to deliver newspapers, though," she chuckled in spite of herself.

"Chase isn't always the most polite, but I think like Aria, its more of a defensive wall than an actual behavior problem… and Dorothy… well, I'm not sure what to think about Dorothy," Altman reflected.

"Calling her a 'piece of work' is putting it nicely," Bridget said, sitting up and rolling her eyes. "Do you think we need to talk to Matthew about her?"

Altman sighed. "I don't think anything we say will change his mind. He's head over heels for that girl…"

Bridget sighed, too. "I was afraid you'd say that. I hope he gets to know her before he makes any big decisions. She's awful with the younger ones."

"Matthew's sweet, maybe he'll be a good influence on her, yet," Altman thought aloud. "Besides, they're still so young. Who knows if their relationship will go anywhere."

Bridget nodded. "So young and yet growing up so fast," she said with a sad smile.

"Hey," Altman said softly, sitting up. "You're a great mom… We've prepared our kids as well as we could, and that's all we can do. They'll be alright."

He guided her back to relax into his shoulder, kissing her temple as she sighed and snuggled in close.

"We'll have to start thinking about getting Em and Matt their own places soon," Bridget said quietly.

"We have a few years for that, still," Altman chuckled and squeezed her arm. "No need to age them faster than they're already growing."

Bridget smiled up at him. "I know, but we should talk to Rukiya's work crew before they're finished with her place, to make sure we can get them for Emery's. If she wants to stay in Appaloosa Plains, of course."

"I'm sure she will," he replied. "Especially with Rukiya here."

Bridget returned her husband's smirk. "I think it's sweet! Rukiya is a much better choice for a crush than Dorothy!"

They smiled to themselves and enjoyed each other's company for a moment. They both knew they'd miss this one day – each other; being close. It had been long enough now that being close to one another wasn't just a comfort taken for granted, but something they recognized as a gift. Their children weren't the only ones getting older; not the only ones whose company they should savor. Their love and marriage had passed the tests of time, and for that, they were both very grateful.


	10. Chapter 9: Cinnamon Crest Falls

Dorothy followed Matthew up his snow-covered street. He wanted to go skating on the pond at Cinnamon Crest Falls like they had as kids. Dorothy couldn't help but agree to go when she saw that glint in his eyes – he was so cute when he was excited.

So there they were, braving the biting winter air and trudging through the snow. Matthew might have been talking about something, but the wind made it hard to hear, and Dorothy was much more focused on not wiping out face-first into the deep snow.

' _Why in Watcher's name did I agree to do this?_ ' she thought to herself.

Reaching the end of Matthew's street meant they weren't even halfway – they still had to make their way between the hills that separated his street from the Falls. Dorothy dreaded the thought of how deep the snow ahead of them might be.

Matthew was much more positive. He turned and gave her a bright smile. "Nearly half-way," he said cheerfully.

' _Why are you so damn cute?_ ' Dorothy wondered. If he wasn't, maybe she would be in a warm house right now instead of battling the frigid weather.

As she watched his boots leave impressions in the snow and stepped into each one to follow him, Dorothy thought back to their first kiss. It seemed like things had progressed quickly since their 13th birthday party just over a month ago. The season changed swiftly from fall to winter – as it so often did in Appaloosa Plains – and with it, their relationship. It was clear that Matthew felt like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. He was even more cheerful and open with her than he had been before. She envied him, in a way. He seemed so much more comfortable with himself when all she'd done was not call him crazy. ' _He's a fool for liking me… for trusting me,_ ' Dorothy thought.

She'd lied to him when she said she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life. She knew _exactly_. But she couldn't tell anyone; she never should have come so close to trusting Matthew with it. How _would_ you tell someone that you aspire to be the leader of a criminal organization?

Dorothy had to admit that the Falls looked beautiful in the winter. The hills sheltered it from the brunt of the chilling wind, leaving the frozen pond serene amidst the snow. The rocks looked almost orange in their stark contrast with the thick layer of white powder that covered the ground and evergreen trees around them. Water still cascaded over the rocks, but not nearly as much as during the rest of the year. It provided just enough sound to keep the winter's stillness from growing too eerily quiet.

Dorothy snapped out of her reverie by Matthew's warm voice, "Feels like it's been ages since we came out here to skate."

His smile seemed stuck on his face as he looked over at her, took her hand, and guided her to the pond's edge. Dorothy smiled back as she nodded in agreement. Seeing him happy made her happy.

"The pond started to freeze in the fall, so it should be solid enough to skate on," Matthew explained as they tied their skates.

Before Dorothy could question his certainty, Matthew was up and skated over the ice. He looped back, his smile as bright as ever, and reached out a hand. Dorothy took it and he helped lift her onto the pond. They giggled and wobbled as they got used to being on skates again, then glided around the pond a few times.

"It doesn't feel as cold here," Dorothy said softly.

"Less wind," Matthew replied simply, slowing to a stop.

Dorothy followed suit, and Matthew took her hands. He used to do that a lot when they were kids. The memory made her smile.

"Dorothy?" he asked quietly.

"Yes?" her answer was little more than a whisper.

"Those afternoons skating out here, you know why I liked them so much?"

She furrowed her brow. "Don't say because I was there," she chuckled. "I was over _every_ Sunday."

"Close," Matthew chuckled, too. "But I was going to say, that's when I realized I had a crush on you. Holding your hands like this on the ice. I'd completely forget about the cold… my stomach would be in knots whenever our hands touched, even though we were wearing mitts…"

They smiled at each other, looking deeply into each other's eyes.

"That's why I wanted to bring you here today," Matthew continued. "I wanted to ask you… to be my girlfriend."

Dorothy's smile grew. Part of her protested – ' _If you care about him, walk away. He's too good for you. Too nice. Too innocent._ ' – but, perhaps because she was being selfish, she couldn't help herself. She couldn't stop smiling, even as she bit her lower lip. She nodded, making a sound almost like a giggle, and threw her arms around him. Her tongue passed his lips; she tasted his tongue. She pulled away slowly, opened her eyes gradually as if escaping a trance, and looked into his. He was surprised, and she could tell he wanted more. She could get used to him looking at her like that.

* * *

After a winter of cuddling his new girlfriend and working on his second book, Matthew was excited to start visiting the Falls more frequently. The pond had finally thawed, which meant it was warm enough that he could wait to see if Aasifa the unicorn would visit in the evenings. When his father began putting Ryker and Mason to bed, Matthew would grab a book or his fishing rod, hop on his bike, and ride out. When Aasifa didn't come, he'd enjoy a relaxing evening of reading or fishing. But every once in a while, she would show up to eat and drink from the hitching post, munch on seeds scattered around, or take licks of water from the lake. On those evenings, Matthew didn't even think about fishing. He was too busy watching in awe. For once he was grateful that he wasn't as talented an angler as Emery – no one questioned when he came home without any fish.

Being a teenage boy also worked in his favor. It seemed perfectly reasonable for him to bring several fruits and vegetables with him as snacks. In truth, most of them were for Aasifa. He discovered she was either quite the piggy, or all unicorns had insatiable appetites. She absolutely loved to eat. Luckily for him, this made befriending her rather easy – as long as he never forgot to bring some fresh produce from his parents' garden.

In addition to his encounters, Matthew spent a fair amount of time researching unicorns and horses more generally. Dorothy said it had become an almost unhealthy obsession, but he didn't care. Something deep within him urged him to keep pursuing this dream.

His research confirmed Aasifa was a female, yet, curiously, she didn't have any signs of aging that a normal horse would. This led him to support the existing theories about unicorns living much longer lives than regular horses. As for the theories around unicorns' magical powers, however, he was increasingly skeptical. It had been several years now since he'd met Aasifa and had yet to witness anything that indicated she had powers. Perhaps the rumors were just that, then: rumors.

The night that changed, he was particularly tired. Ryker and Mason had been relentless in their demands for attention and he'd been running around playing with them all day to keep them out of his parents' hair. He was already yawning, but decided to grab some of that day's harvest of grapes and head to the Falls, if only for some quiet time to himself. He biked up to the Falls, leaned his ride against the hitching post, and sleepily walked to the water's edge. Otherwise, it seemed like an evening at the Falls like any other.

Sitting cross-legged at the water's edge, Matthew was reading a book when he heard Aasifa's familiar hoof-falls approach. He stretched and got up.

"Hello, girl," Matthew smiled.

Aasifa nickered and promptly started sniffing the teenager, hunting for food. Matthew chuckled as he dodged her horn to avoid losing an eye.

"Wait," he laughed. "Let me get them out."

He opened his small tote bag, removed the two bunches of grapes, and stuffed the canvas into his pocket. Aasifa was gobbling them up before he could raise his hand to offer them. She whinnied when she finished and he winced from the loud sound near his ear, then smiled. He was glad she always enjoyed what he brought.

Suddenly, Matthew felt a warm and soothing sensation wash over him. He looked down only to realize he'd begun to float! He had an urge to panic, but before he could think, a bright light overtook his vision and he had to close his eyes tightly.

"Wha—" he muttered. "What's—?"

He heard Aasifa exhale, which inexplicably calmed his nerves. He opened his eyes to find his feet were on the ground again. Little sparkling lights were floating all around him like white fireflies. Something felt different. He looked down. Other than the floating lights, everything looked normal. He tried to define the strange feeling… _Lighter? Enlightened? Elated?_

"I don't think Simlish has a word for it," an ethereal voice said.

Matthew looked around, but only he, Aasifa and the little floating lights were there.

"It's me, Aasifa," the voice said. "You'll only be able to hear me while the blessing is in effect. I wanted to thank you… for all of the delicious gifts you've brought me."

Matthew was frozen in shock, standing stiff as a board.

"You've been very patient trying to get to know me. I'm impressed," Aasifa continued. "I thought maybe it was finally time to answer your big question."

Matthew was still too shocked to say anything.

"I resent that you think of me as a piggy, by the way," she said, cocking her head. "They're very smart creatures, but they get rather fat, you know. And I understand its rather a negative comparison even in Simlish?"

"S—Sorry," Matthew stuttered.

"It's alright," her soft voice replied.

Matthew took a step closer and rubbed her neck. "Thank you," he finally said softly. "This is incredible."

"I hope this blessing is proof enough that I do, in fact, have powers," Aasifa said.

Matthew realized she wasn't speaking like Sims did with their mouths. Her voice wasn't _coming_ from anywhere, exactly. Her delicate tones seemed to envelope his mind when she spoke.

"I warn you though," she continued. "They can also be quite damaging. Do not dare betray this trust I have given you."

Matthew nodded. "I won't."

Suddenly, there was another flash of white light. Matthew blinked wildly, and when he could see again, Aasifa was gone.

* * *

Over the next few months, Matthew tried to make sense of the encounter. He still had so many questions, but he hadn't seen Aasifa again since. He was starting to doubt whether their relationship was developing as well as he'd originally thought. _Hadn't she said she was impressed with me? And that she liked the fruits and veggies I bring her? Why hasn't she come back?_

He'd taken to working out more to take his mind off things. The exercise was refreshing and he figured it would help him if he ever got to learn to ride a horse, especially if that horse was a unicorn. One evening, covered in sweat, he went inside for a shower. Afterwards, he had a glimmer of hope. _Literally_. As he was opening his dresser drawer, he looked out his window and saw faint lights flickering across the sky.

He tossed his pajamas onto the bed and opened another drawer. He threw on fresh clothes, rushed outside and hopped on his bike. He was sweating again when he got to Cinnamon Crest Falls, but sure enough – Aasifa was at the water's edge when he arrived.

"Hey, girl!" he said happily as he approached.

She trotted over happily and nickered.

"Of course I brought you something," he laughed.

Aasifa trotted around him as he took out the apple he brought.

"Here you go," he said softly. She gobbled it up right away. "I thought you might have been annoyed with me after I doubted your powers before."

She lifted her nose to his face and blew hot air into it.

Matthew let out a small cough, but he smiled afterwards. "Yeah, I get that I was being dumb, now, thanks."

Aasifa stepped back and whinnied loudly, cocking her head up. Matthew felt himself lift into the air. She was giving him another blessing!

Also, he realized upon landing, somehow replenishing his pocket. Another apple had appeared. He took it out with a laugh.

"You're just after this, aren't you?" he laughed as he took it out of his pocket.

He felt wonderful – as before – and filled with gratefulness for his equine friend. He outstretched his hand, gently offering the apple. Aasifa paced herself a little more this time, and Matthew pet her as she ate.

"Thanks," he said softly.


	11. Chapter 10: Rukiya's House

The snow had melted, but the wind still carried a harsh chill and the trees had barely begun to bud. Despite the cold, Bridget and Emery were walking down from their house to see what progress the work crew was making on Rukiya's new place. Bridget explained that they had to build a foundation first, since Rukiya wanted a "proper" front porch and back deck.

As Emery soon discovered, that apparently meant that her house was (so far) little more than a hole in the ground with some random giant blocks of concrete.

"Um…" Emery hesitated before asking her mother, "Why didn't she just start with a cabin like you did? She can't live in this… for a while…"

Bridget looked unsure about the project as well, but she didn't reply. The pair walked by the house, surveying the scene, looking for their friend. Suddenly, she was rushing up to them.

"Hey!" Rukiya greeted them cheerfully. "Isn't this great? It's finally going up!"

Bridget smiled, but her doubt was clear on her face. Emery didn't bother trying to hide her concern.

"It's exciting," Bridget said uneasily. "But… Rukiya… don't they usually frame out the foundation and then pour the concrete in?"

Rukiya laughed softly. "I couldn't decide between pillar-and-beam or a strip foundation, I read something about flooding and the soil affecting the stability of your foundation… I think the builder was starting to get tired of my indecision," Rukyia admitted. "So we're doing pillars, then framing out the rest. The pillars go deeper than the rest of the foundation to add stability, so I don't have to worry."

Bridget smiled and seemed to accept this answer, but Emery was still a bit confused. She didn't understand why a concrete slab with a cabin on top would be risky. She couldn't remember any issues with flooding in Appaloosa Plains. She made a mental note to ask Matthew if he'd read about any natural disasters when he was researching the history of the area for his books.

* * *

Rukiya stayed at the boarding house while the crew continued to work on building her new place. She'd taken to jogging to and from work at the Tevellyns' and stopping by her lot on the way. Every now and then, Emery would use it as an excuse to spend some extra time with Rukiya, and they'd jog down together.

Later that spring, the foundation was done. They'd even piled stones around the outside to make it look nicer. Rukiya and Emery jogged down to the site to see where the walls would be going up. The workers had marked where they'd be going based on the plans, but wanted to make sure Rukiya still liked the layout before they started building them. When they arrived, one worker was securing the last of the front steps' boards, while the other two were marking the final "wall".

It felt much more real for Emery now: that Rukiya was building a house there; that she would be their neighbor for the foreseeable future. It was exciting to see where things would go and hear Rukiya happily rambling about where the shower and sink should go in her soon-to-be bathroom.

* * *

Shaun didn't visit until early fall. He and Rukiya had both been busy working all summer, and in his opinion, there wouldn't be much for him to see until the walls were up. He noted the green work truck as he pulled up to the house and parked his sedan on the grass. He'd have to wait to have any private time with his girlfriend until they were back at the boarding house.

Rukiya came down the front steps, greeting him after a stretch and yawn. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I'm tired. Things have been so busy. It's great to see you, though."

"I hear ya," he replied nonchalantly.

Rukiya smiled as he brought her in for a 'hello' hug and kiss, then invited him in for the tour.

"Open concept living, dining and kitchen area," she announced as if reading from a real estate listing. "Powder room there, glass doors out to the back deck and yard… kitchen at the front, along there…"

"Then through here," she continued, looking back at him with a bright smile. "I'm thinking our art studio – for painting, your photography, or maybe an office?"

When Shaun didn't respond, she turned to him expectantly. His face was expressionless, causing her smile to falter.

"Hey," she said softly, walking towards him. "Look, I know it's not done, but with a coat of paint and—"

"It's not that," Shaun interrupted and gently took her hands in his. "I think it's great. I'm just not sure I want to move out here, I don't want you to plan the place around me. It's your house."

"Like I said, I can use it for my art, too," Rukiya brushed off his concerns. "But I _do_ want you to love the house."

"Alright," Shaun gave her a half-hearted smile and nod. "Let's see the rest then."

Rukiya's eyes lit up again when she resumed the tour. They continued through the studio into the main bathroom, which also connected to the bedroom, then back into the main living space.

"It's a really fluid layout," Shaun noted. "And lots of windows. You'll have beautiful views of the trees changing colors every year."

"Look!" Rukiya pointed out the glass doors toward the backyard. "Wild horses!"

He joined her at the door and put his arm around her as they looked out and watched three horses trot past. Rukiya loved moments like these. She'd certainly never have a view like this in the city – the gold and orange trees, wild horses galloping through her backyard… it felt surreal.

* * *

As the end of the growing season approached, Rukiya's mind was on the garden she'd be starting the following year. Rukiya often had questions for Bridget when she came down to see the build's progress, but this time, they were about the land rather than the house.

Bridget gave her some advice on what to plant first and reassured her that she could take as many seeds from their garden as she wanted at the end of the season. When they arrived at the house, they did their usual walk-through. Only one contractor would be there for the next couple weeks while the tiling and floors were being done, since those were his specialty. He was working on the bathroom when they arrived. Rukiya greeted him and reminded him she was only a phone call away if he needed anything while he worked.

Then they headed out to the back deck, which didn't have any stairs yet. Rukiya showed Bridget the area where she planned to set up her garden and Bridget agreed that the location would work just fine. As Bridget expected, though, Rukiya had several follow-up questions about whether certain crops would get enough light, if they'd be too close to the deck or a nearby tree, and other concerns. Bridget could only hope she reassured her friend enough to stave off her worrying for awhile.

Within the month, though, Bridget was back at Rukiya's. Concerned that the cold of winter was creeping in, Rukiya asked Bridget for help planting a few fruit trees before the ground froze too much for them to take root.

This time there was a lot more progress to be seen. The bathrooms were all but finished – they just needed doors installed, a good cleaning and some décor – and the contractor was working on installing the wood-plank flooring in the main living area. He'd done the kitchen area first so that the counters and sink could be set up and the plumbers could do their work in a matter of days. With a coat of paint, some appliances and furniture, the house would be ready to become a home.

* * *

Thanks to the winter's horrible road conditions, deliveries were delayed and the work crew couldn't come out to the site. Rukiya was left to do the painting and some of the finishing touches herself, but at least she saved some money. She started in the art studio so that deliveries could be stored there and the furniture wouldn't be damaged while she worked in the larger rooms.

By the time the weather had warmed, Rukiya was happy with the end results. Now all she had to do was unpack her furniture.

* * *

Rukiya wanted to surprise Shaun with a big reveal, so his visits were limited to the boarding house until she had almost everything set up. She'd even planted her first few crops. When she heard the familiar sputtering of his sedan pulling onto her lot, she almost skipped down the front steps to greet him.

"Shaun!" she said gleefully. "Come in, come in! I'm just about done making a salad, but you can take a look around and then I'll give you the full tour afterwards!"

She planted a kiss on his cheek and rushed back into the house before he could get a word in. He smiled to himself and shook his head as he followed up the steps.

It was interesting to see how different the place looked with proper floors, paint and furniture. The finishes were simple, but homey and inviting. Admittedly, Shaun never would have chosen any of them for himself; he would have expected the light wall color to feel cold and bland, and he'd never been a fan of white wood furniture. But although their tastes were different, he had to admit Rukiya's design choices made the place feel surprisingly warm and comforting despite its cool color palate.

Knowing Rukiya would give him the "full tour" later – which he hoped was a euphemism – he took a seat while she finished making dinner.

When she served him a plate, he thanked her earnestly. "You didn't have to make dinner," he added.

"I know, but I thought it would be nice, and I'm really hungry," Rukiya laughed.

They kept their dinner conversation light, although Rukiya wasn't subtle about her ongoing desire for Shaun to move in with her. Shaun remained hesitant, blaming concerns about money and his career. He wanted to keep seeing her, but he didn't think he'd be happy if he lived out there – it felt like the middle of nowhere. It was okay to visit, but he much preferred the liveliness of the city.

After their meal, Rukiya guided him into the "art studio." Shaun felt a small pang of regret for letting her believe that he was deeply interested in photography for all this time. It was far too late to tell her otherwise, now. He wasn't a paparazzi to fund a passion for photography, he was a paparazzi so he had an excuse to attend all sorts of events and chase juicy gossip. He'd hoped Rukiya's attention towards the photography aspect would fade and they could bond over their desires to pursue news stories rather than art. On one of their first dates, Rukiya had admitted she used to dream about being a famous news anchor. He remembered how beautifully she lit up when he'd encouraged her to pursue that dream. Instead, for some reason, she doubled-down on her move to Appaloosa Plains.

"Don't mind the boxes and things still in there, I'm just about done unpacking everything and then I can store those or throw them out as needed… It's small, but it's a perfect room for an art studio or office, if you wanted to run a photography business…" Rukiya was saying.

Shaun's attention returned to her as she entered the bathroom, suddenly she looked concerned.

"Worried you missed a spot?" he asked jokingly.

"Yes, actually," she laughed nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm not that interested in whether your bathroom is spotlessly clean. In fact, I'm far too interested in what's behind door number two to notice," Shaun smirked.

He walked past a cabinet of towels, linens, spare soaps and shampoos to open the bathroom's other door. Like in the art studio, she'd chosen a lively green for the walls of the bedroom. The duvet had a delicate pink floral pattern. ' _Fitting,_ ' he smirked to himself.

"Can I congratulate you on your new house?" he asked coyly. "We _do_ need to test out your new bed."

Rukiya giggled and followed him into the room, closing the door behind her. He quickly began to kiss her neck and undress her. Overcome, she began unbuttoning his shirt, and they made their way into the bed.

* * *

Shaun had to drive back to the city early the next morning. He assured Rukiya that she could sleep in, but she decided to get up at the same time so she could say goodbye and work in the garden while it was cool outside.

Before he left, Shaun took Rukiya's hands. "This was nice," he said softly. "I like your new place."

"We could make it _our_ new place, if you want," she offered hopefully.

Shaun instinctively began to back away, but stopped himself and made sure to keep hold of one of her hands.

"Look, Rukiya, I like you. I want to keep seeing you," he said calmly. "But my work is in the city – my _life_ is in the city."

"I know," she replied softly. "But we could build a new life here, together."

"I'm just not ready for that."

"Well where do you see this relationship going?"

"Rukiya, not now, okay? I have to go," Shaun sighed.

He leaned forward to give her a goodbye kiss, but she turned her head.

"Shaun—"

He kissed her cheek instead. "It's a bigger conversation, okay? I'll call you later."

Rukiya watched silently as Shaun headed out the door, down to his car, and turned on the engine. She sighed, closed the door and went back in. _Where did_ she _see this relationship going?_


	12. Chapter 11: Tevellyn House & Emery's Lot

Ryker stood at his father's telescope in the cool, crisp early morning air with an eye glued to the eyepiece. He had a particular interest in one faint shape in the sky – he was sure it was moving against a background of stars, which could mean it was a new discovery. He positioned his cell phone camera over the eyepiece and focused the telescope until he could see the fuzzy dot he was looking for. The image quality was terrible – as was every other photo he'd taken of it these last few weeks tracking that part of the sky.

A breeze blew by and Ryker realized how chilly it was, standing there in his pajama shorts and with bare feet. He stepped down from his stool and opened his phone camera gallery, flipping through the past few images. They probably wouldn't hold up with the astrological society on their own, but they were enough to prompt an investigation with better equipment.

The sky was beginning to lighten. The sun would rise soon, so he wouldn't be able to see his little shape again until tomorrow. He looked over to the garden and noticed his parents must have just come out to start working. A smile overtook his face.

"Mom! Mom! Mom!" he shouted as he ran over.

Bridget smiled brightly at him, "Good morning, Ryker."

"Okay, good morning!" he said impatiently. "I discovered a moon! Previously undiscovered! With dad's telescope!"

He bounced a bit in place.

Altman looked up, beaming at his son. "That's fantastic, Ryker!"

"Incredible!" Bridget added proudly.

"Thanks! It's not official yet, but I have pictures to send to the Astrological Society. I have a name picked out any everything!" the child explained.

"Well, you've got to tell us the name!" Bridget smiled.

Ryker giggled. "Okay, ready? … AltMOON Ryker!" he laughed, and so did they.

"I wanted to name it for dad," he added, peering around his mother to see Altman, who was weeding the cucumbers. "But—"

"You didn't want to give it the same name as the Medium Blue Giant he discovered," Bridget said, nodding.

"Yeah," the boy smiled. "I like that dad has a star – especially one he found."

Altman laughed softly, finishing up with the cucumbers and moving on to the potatoes.

"But I still wanted to thank him for teaching me to use the telescope!" Ryker said excitedly.

His energy was something the other children didn't share, and Bridget thought to herself that perhaps he helped them stay young at heart to finish raising them.

"OH! And letting me use it whenever I want!" Ryker added.

"It's a wonderful name," Bridget said.

"I couldn't have thought of a better one," Altman smiled. "Especially because now we can share a moon," he added, laughing.

Ryker giggled, "YEP! Guess you're stuck with me!"

He was still bouncing, but started to look at his feet to mind he didn't step on any of the plants.

Bridget couldn't stop smiling. How _did_ he have so much energy?

"Well, that's these sorted," Altman said. "We should get out of here before the sprinklers come on. We can finish after breakfast, my love," he said to Bridget.

She smiled at him, but before she could say that she'd start cooking, Ryker's voice made them jump.

"DAD!" he exclaimed.

"Yes Ryker?" Altman asked with a laugh.

"Can we fish until the pancakes are ready? Can we, can we?!"

"And how do you know there will be pancakes?" Bridget asked, putting her hands on her hips in mock seriousness.

"Beeeecause," Ryker said, still bouncing, his mind half elsewhere. "I'm asking really nicely? Pretty please can we have pancakes?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Bridget laughed. "Well, since you asked," she said, ruffling his hair. "Try not to drive your dad crazy with all that bouncing while you're trying to fish."

She could see Altman was smiling ear to ear and knew he wouldn't pass up any opportunities to fish with his kids – especially the younger ones. Ryker's bounces grew as he excitedly headed for the garden gate.

"Let's go, dad!" He leapt out the gate as Altman walked after him.

Bridget walked over to the fence and began dusting off her skirt. The sprinklers came on and she narrowly avoided getting soaked. Altman knowingly smiled back at her.

"You were right," she said snidely. "Thanks for the warning."

"I hope there's fishing on our moon!" Ryker called as he bounced and spun his way to the pond's edge. "Come _ON_ , dad!"

* * *

It was a busy year. Since Rukiya had moved on to her own home garden, Bridget and Emery had to do more of the work at the Tevellyns'. Matthew leant a hand with the garden, too, when needed – assuming he wasn't preoccupied with Dorothy, that is. Altman helped when he could, but mostly spent his time looking after the younger kids and organizing construction projects.

Over the next few years, they planned to add a pool, move and upgrade the kitchen, and convert the existing kitchen/dining combination into a living room. At the same time, they had to start working on houses that Emery and Matthew could move into once they were ready to leave home. It was Altman's responsibility to establish work plans and coordinate with construction crews to make sure everything went smoothly – not to mention to make sure they could afford it all.

* * *

Aria was thrilled to receive a red keyboard for her 13th birthday that winter. She quickly taught herself to play some of the songs she'd made up as a child and watched hours of SimTube to learn others. The winter weather was a great excuse to stay indoors and practice, but she looked forward to taking her keyboard outside or even down to the community garden in the spring and summer.

The snow melted and the backyard pond thawed, but it still got dark rather early in the first months of spring. Still, Ryker and Mason were so excited for the warmer-in-comparison weather that Bridget and Altman agreed the family could celebrate Mason's 5th birthday outside. Thrilled by the party and full of cake, the young boys were both running around the backyard with seemingly boundless energy right until bedtime.

Ryker and Mason needed less attention now that they were growing up and they had no trouble occupying themselves. Ryker taught Mason the best ways to build epic towers with their blocks and the basics of chess, but they were especially looking forward to having a pool they could play in.

It took another year or so, but the wait was worth it! The boys loved the pool and used it as often as they could. In the winter, they built igloos nearby and incorporated it into their adventure games. The igloos played the roles of castles, forts or arctic explorer bases while the pool was their moat, a treacherous chasm or deadly cold ocean.

Dorothy and Matthew also enjoyed the pool. Altman suspected Dorothy's father would be none too happy about the amount of time she was spending in her bathing suit at their house, but it seemed impossible to reason with teenagers. Altman resolved to try to keep an eye on them as much as possible, but ultimately, he knew they'd find ways to do what they wanted. He just had to hold out hope that his talks with Matthew about sexual health were enough for his son to act responsibly.

Altman wondered if he'd be as _laissez-faire_ about his teenager dating (and probably messing around) if it were Emery rather than Matthew. In truth, he was thankful that he didn't have to worry about horny boys putting their hands all over his daughters yet. He was surprised that Dorothy's father allowed her to spend so much time with Matthew, but recognized that it might be the lesser of two evils. Who knew what she might get up to if left to her own devices unsupervised? When she was in Appaloosa Plains, it was with a large family amidst an empty landscape.

Soon, though, it would be a _little_ less empty. Bridget booked the same work crew that built Rukiya's house to start on Emery's place the next summer. Altman drew up some plans for their own house's upcoming renovations as well as some ideas for Emery's. He'd claimed a corner of the dining area for his work and displayed a few of the sketches on the wall. Emery didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about any of them, but they had a few months before they had to decide on a lot and send the designs in for the necessary approvals and permits.

One evening, Altman and Ryker entered the kitchen to get Ryker a snack when they noticed Emery sitting on the floor in the corner of the dining room with his sketchbook open on her lap.

Ryker giggled. "Em, are you sketching the _WALL_?"

"No," Emery snickered. "I was looking at dad's designs and it finally clicked."

"Oh?" Altman smiled, walking over. He turned a dining chair away from the table and sat in it so he could see what she was drawing. Ryker sat at the far end of the table and began eating some leftovers from the fridge.

"I like some of your ideas, but they aren't _me_ , you know? I've been trying to think about what I want in a house and… well, I'm not sure a regular house like ours or Rukiya's is really it," Emery explained as she continued sketching.

"You can't stay here forever or I'll _never_ get my own room," Ryker pouted.

Emery laughed. "No, I mean, what I need is a _studio_. The house should have space for my art and help me find inspiration."

Altman nodded, following her glances from the sketchpad to the designs on the wall.

"I want it to be my retreat, in a way," Emery continued. "I want it to be peaceful, and surrounded in nature, like here."

Altman nodded again and smiled. He knew exactly which lot they should buy for Emery.

* * *

A few weeks later, Altman and Emery were going fishing, just the two of them, which would be the perfect opportunity for him to surprise his daughter with the property he thought would be perfect for her. Before telling her, he had wanted to double-check that it was available and crunch the numbers. Now that the picture was clear, he could show her and see what she thought.

It was still dark out when they began fishing at Cinnamon Crest Falls on that autumn morning, but the sun soon emerged over the hilltops. Altman and Emery cast their lines from opposite sides of the pond. Emery had slightly better luck, and Altman jokingly showed her how small each of his catches were.

"It seems the student has become the master," he said across the water. Emery giggled but assured her father that she wasn't a master angler like him just yet.

They continued fishing until the sun was out and they started to get hungry for breakfast.

"Alright, let's pack up. I want to show you something on the way home," Altman called.

Emery silently walked around the pond, trying to figure out what her father would want to show her.

"And I want you to let me know how you feel about it; your honest opinion," he added.

With that, he headed off towards the path between the hills. It was the route they usually took home, which confused her even more. What could her father wanted to show her that she hadn't already seen on their walk to the Falls earlier that morning? Not to mention all her trips to the Falls since she was a child. Still, she followed without questioning him.

They reached the end of the path, where the hills opened and the properties on their street began.

"Emery," Altman said softly over his shoulder. "I know you're almost 19 and ready to move out on your own. But I want you to know you're always welcome at home with your mother and I."

"I know, dad," she smiled. "But where is this coming from? What do you need to show me between here and the house?"

He continued to walk into the clearing ahead. "I know this might feel a bit too close to home for what you might want. I know you like having time to yourself… But I thought, maybe being close to the Falls and staying close to home might be good for you. So if you get lonely you can come any time, day or night."

He stopped just over halfway to the street and gently motioned around them. "This is what I wanted to show you," he continued. "I checked, and this lot is available, and its within our price range to build on... if you want it."

Emery stared at her father in disbelief. After a moment trying to process what he'd said, she leaned forward.

"Are you serious?" she asked quietly.

"If it's too close to our place, I'll understand," he said with a sad smile. "I just thought, with it so close to the Falls—"

"No," Emery interrupted, touching his arm. "It's perfect."

Tears welled in her eyes and her lips trembled slightly as they curled into a small smile.

Altman's smile brightened. "Being independent doesn't mean you have to be alone, okay, Em? Your mom and I will always just be a phone call away, no matter whether you live here or if you move elsewhere."

Emery threw her arms around her father and it was his eyes' turn to well with tears.

"I don't want to move away," she mumbled into his sweater. "I love you, dad. Thank you so much."

"You can also stay living at home, if you want," he chuckled.

She laughed and wiped the water from her eyes. "I don't want to stay _that_ close," she said with a smile. "A space of my own would be _really_ nice."

"I thought as much."

Beaming, Emery looked around at what would become her property. _Hers!_

"Can I stay and sketch for a while before going home for breakfast?" she asked.

"Of course," Altman replied. "I'll save some food for you."

"Thanks, dad!" Emery immediately sat down and fished a pencil from her jeans pocket.

Altman headed home with a smile on his face. He wondered who was more thrilled: Emery, who just learned she'd have her own place soon; or himself, who would get to keep his eldest close by.

* * *

Emery turned 19 the following spring and there was a lot to celebrate! Construction would soon begin on her studio, and she'd continue living with her parents until it was finished.

Rukiya, Dorothy, and Aria's friend Chase were all invited to Emery's birthday party. Everyone laughed and danced well into the evening. Emery didn't really like dancing, but when Rukiya had asked her to, she shyly accepted. To her surprise, the feelings Rukiya gave her outweighed any awkwardness she felt.

She was relaxed and having fun until she started to wonder whether it would be a good time to tell Rukiya how she felt about her. She was 19 now; an adult. Rukiya was only 25 – well, closer to 26, but still, it was hardly a scandalous age difference. But there was still _Shaun_. Watcher, how she hated the thought of that man. He didn't appreciate what he had.

"Hey," Rukiya's cheerful voice snapped her back to the reality of the moment. Their bodies were so _close_ as they danced. Emery felt heat rising to her cheeks. "You okay?"

"Y–yeah," Emery stuttered.

"Don't think so much," Rukiya said with her radiant smile. "It's your birthday party, let's just have fun."

' _If only you knew what I want those words to mean,_ ' Emery thought. She tried to smile without looking pained by all the thoughts flooding into her mind about what she wanted to do. ' _Don't think so much,_ ' a seductive version of Rukiya's voice echoed in her head. ' _Let's just have fun.'_ Her heart was racing.

Thankfully, her mother began lighting her birthday candles and called her over to stand at the cake. Bridget broke out into 'Happy Birthday' and their guests joined into the song, ending with noise-makers and loud cheers. Emery blushed from the attention, but she had to admit that seeing those she loved around her, happy and smiling, made her deeply happy and grateful. She leaned forward, took a deep breath, and wished for courage as she blew out her candles.

She was a bit disappointed when Mason sat across from her, but she could hardly blame someone who just turned 6 for being oblivious that she'd want to sit with her crush. She was far more annoyed at Matthew and Chase, who took the other two spots at her picnic table.

Emery leaned forward to talk to Mason. " _Can you sit with Ryker, mom and dad?_ " she asked in a harsh whisper.

Mason shook his head 'no' as he shoved forkfuls of cake into his mouth. "Rukiya's al'eady put'er plate 'dere," he said through a mouthful of food.

Emery sighed and fidgeted with her fork as she glanced over. Rukiya had indeed already put her plate down next to their mom's. ' _I should probably find a more private moment to talk to Rukiya, anyway,_ ' she thought.

Emery was quickly distracted by Aria's conversation with Chase and Matthew, anyway. Chase had grown into a cute – albeit, rather sloppy-looking – teen, but at least he wasn't wearing tight jeans like her brother did these days. Emery and Aria often joked that Matthew was trying too hard to show off his butt for Dorothy, and tonight would be no exception.

"I couldn't really hear you when we were dancing," Aria was saying to Chase. "I thought you said you have to go to a military event tomorrow." She giggled at the thought.

"No shit, huh? The official announcement down by the river is for the military?" Matthew asked.

Aria's smile disappeared. "Wait, that _is_ what you said?"

Chase nodded as he swallowed his mouthful of cake. "Yep. My dad's making me go. He hasn't dropped the military school thing."

"I thought as long as you keep your grades up you don't have to go," Aria said.

"Yeah, it's all talk," Chase shrugged.

"Making you get a job wasn't all talk," Aria retorted. "This isn't fair."

"It's just some dumb event," he tried to reassure her. "Besides, delivering papers is how we met, so it wasn't _so_ bad," he added with a small smile.

"Careful there, Chase, that's my baby sister you're flirting with!" Matthew smirked.

"He's not flirting!" Aria said, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Don't listen to him, Chase."

Chase looked back down at his plate, scraping up the last bits of cake. An awkward silence ensued.

Emery cleared her throat. "So, the event is here, in Appaloosa Plains?" Emery asked.

"Yeah, they're breaking ground on a new training facility by the river," Chase said, grateful someone had broken the silence.

"Cool, I was wondering what they'd be announcing," Matthew smiled.

Aria said nothing, staring blankly at the boys' empty plates.

"Why don't you come, Aria? You should meet my dad in all his high-ranking glory," Chase scoffed.

"You want me to?" Aria asked awkwardly. "Do you think it would help?"

"Yeah, we can sit at the back and make fun of it and whatever… my dad has to sit up front anyway... I wouldn't be as bored with you there," he said. "Plus maybe my dad will see what a good influence you are on me."

Matthew chuckled and stood up to leave the table. " _He's not flirting, though,_ " he said under his breath so only Aria could hear. She glared at him as he walked over to Dorothy.

Seeing Aria's annoyance, Emery joked, "Aw, he lasted a _whole_ 15 minutes away from her this time." Aria and Chase laughed.

Rukiya and Chase left around the time Altman was getting Ryker and Mason ready for bed. Dorothy stayed later, so while Matthew spent more time with her, Emery and Aria helped Bridget clean up.

"Hey, mom?" Aria asked nervously. "Could you take me to the event tomorrow? I know you're probably busy with the garden and—"

"I can handle it myself for a couple hours," Emery interjected. "Don't worry about that. You should go, mom, you can meet Chase's dad."

"Ah, so Chase invited you?" Bridget asked with a knowing smile.

"His dad is being super unfair and keeps threatening to send him to boarding school," Aria looked away. "I just… I don't want him to go…"

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Bridget said softly. "Of course we can go. Chase's father should see he has good friends he shouldn't be separated from."

A small smile slowly made its way onto Aria's face. "Thanks, mom."

"So… what is the event for?" Bridget chuckled.

"Oh," Aria blushed. "Uh, they're announcing a military training facility. His dad is an officer, or something? Chase doesn't like to talk about him very much..."

"Ah, well it sounds interesting. Can Ryker come too, if he wants? He's still obsessed with the space agency," Bridget added with another laugh.

"Sure," Aria said, her smile growing. "That'll look less like we're just there for Chase, too."

"Mum's the word," Bridget winked. "Mission ' _Save Chase from Boarding School_ ' is a 'go.'"


	13. Ch 12: Sims at Arms Training Outpost

It was a beautiful day: sunny but not too warm. The summer heat was still a few weeks away. Aria was comfortable in her burgundy cardigan and knit skirt. The pantyhose was less comfortable, but she didn't want to seem like she was trying to show off skin. Not only was this going to be a semi-formal event that the Governor herself was attending, but Aria would likely have her first real conversation with Chase's father and wanted to make a good impression.

Unfortunately, the pantyhose and her mother's reassurance didn't eliminate her concerns about her outfit. She didn't have any clothes she'd consider 'formal wear,' since she never really needed them. Neither did her parents or siblings. Still, Bridget thought they all looked quite presentable; she was wearing a simple blue dress, light trench coat and pantyhose, and had dressed Ryker in his nicest pair of jeans, an orange collared shirt, and his pirate-themed tie (which he was thrilled to finally get to wear).

Bridget lead Aria and Ryker towards the future location of a new military training facility. They'd already set up for the event: a dozen white folding chairs were lined up facing a cherry wood podium, potted flowers and a board with renderings of the future facility. They'd set up the podium between two flag poles bearing the national flag, which Bridget assumed must have been installed a few days before. Construction cones, caution tape and signs were already positioned around the front of the property in preparation for construction. Bridget wondered if they planned to refurbish or tear down the old, covered horse paddock on the far end of the lot; it was one of the many remnants of the ranches and farms that were once scattered along the riverbank. Although the houses and barns were demolished, several elements were left behind – paddocks like this one, fences, rusted trucks and tractors, small windmills, and more.

Chase Harley and his father were approaching from the other side, where three cars occupied the make-shift parking spots.

Mr. Harley paused and turned to his teenage son.

"Chase, I know you don't want to be here, but I expect you to be on your best behavior," he said sternly. "Do _not_ embarrass me."

"I'll try not to, dad."

"And if the Governor or the army Lieutenant are within earshot, refer to me as Sir, alright?"

"Alright," Chase sighed.

"Is Aria still coming?"

"Yeah, she's over there," Chase replied, lazily cocking his head in the Tevellyns' direction. "That's her mom and one of her brothers, too."

His father nodded. "I look forward to meeting them after the event."

Meanwhile, Bridget and Aria were getting the impression that Chase and his father's conversation may not be going well. Both men were silent, now, and looked uncomfortable.

"Go say hi," Bridget gently encouraged Aria. "Ryker and I will take our seats."

Ryker skipped over to the chairs and took one in the middle of the back row. Bridget followed, but her eyes were locked on Aria as she approached Chase and Mr. Harley.

"…be respectful. Especially if the Lieutenant or Governor speaks to you," Aria heard Mr. Harley saying as she approached. "Do not talk to any of the press, even if they ask you a question. And listen to the Governor's speech, alright? I don't want any photos of my son daydreaming in the seat behind me… and maybe you'll learn something."

He had a strong, deep voice, but she wanted to believe that she heard affection for his son in his words, too.

Aria waited a moment to make sure Mr. Harley was done talking, then announced herself, "Hi Mr. Harley. Hi Chase."

"Hey, Aria," Chase said with a smile. "Dad, you remember Aria."

"Hello, Miss Tevellyn," Mr. Harley smiled. "It's nice to see you again. I hope your family is happy to hear about the new military facility? It should bring plenty of new jobs and residents to the area."

"It _is_ a bit empty here," Aria smiled. "It would be great to welcome some new neighbors."

"Perhaps if he gets his act together, Chase could even be trained or stationed here one day."

"Dad—"

"It would be nice if he lived closer," Aria interrupted. "It would give us more opportunities to practice our music together. Chase is getting really good at the guitar, Mr. Harley."

"And he can continue playing guitar in his spare time when he's training in the Air Force. It's important to have hobbies and outlets outside of work," Mr. Harley said matter-of-factly.

Over at the podium, the Governor was asking her assistant and an army officer questions and testing the microphone.

"Yes, I suppose this will do. And you'll be sitting there, next to the officer?" the Governor said within range of the mic.

"Yes, ma'am, next to the _Lieutenant_ ," the assistant replied.

"Right. My apologies, Lieutenant."

"None necessary, Governor Walker," the officer replied.

"If you'll excuse me, Miss Tevellyn," Mr. Harley said, glancing towards the conversation being picked up by the microphone. "I should ensure that the Governor has everything she needs so the event can begin. Please do take your seat."

"Of course, Mr. Harley. We'll see you after the speech?"

He offered a curt nod and headed towards the podium.

The Governor's assistant took her seat, and Aria realized that just left her and Chase to sit down. She didn't want to keep anyone waiting, but Chase didn't seem to notice. He tugged at his collar and fanned himself with his hand.

"C'mon," Aria giggled.

"Why does _anyone_ wear suits?" Chase complained. "It's not even hot outside, I've been out of the car for 15 minutes, and I'm already about to start sweating."

"Quit your whining," Aria smirked, nudging his arm. "Let's go sit."

They took seats in the back row; Aria was across the small aisle from her mother while Chase was in the middle seat. Mr. Harley barely looked at them before taking his place in the front row. The Governor explained to the crowd that two members of the press would be documenting the event and taking photos, cleared her throat, and began her speech.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honor for me to be here in Appaloosa Plains today, and to do my part in the next phase of the town's recovery.

"Before I was _Governor_ Jada Walker, I oversaw a variety of development projects. By far the largest and most challenging was that for Appaloosa Plains. I hadn't been here more than once or twice before, but seeing the town abandoned – the collapsing roofs, the crumbling walls – it was heart-breaking nonetheless. It was clear that it had become a shadow of what it once was, and I immediately understood why the Governor wanted to make its rejuvenation a priority," she said.

Governor Walker gestured towards the hills, where the boarding house could be seen in the distance.

"Ever since I got involved in the renovation of the boarding house, Appaloosa Plains has had a place in my mind," she continued. "Over the years, I've been told so many great things about this place and what a cute town and lovely community used to be here. It remains a beautiful location, and has the beginnings of a new community taking root.

"Even still, progress has been slow. I believe the previous governments should have been doing more to help this town begin anew. We cleared the way for new growth, but my predecessors failed to provide adequate supports and publicity."

"I was elected on the promise to make real progress and get things done in our region," the Governor continued. "With the support of our local servicesims of the Armed Forces, including Group Captain Harley of the Air Force and Army Lieutenant Jackson who are here today as representatives, I have successfully secured this site as the location of the new regional military training facility that our Forces need."

She paused as the crowd responded to the announcement with applause.

"The new Sims at Arms Training Outpost will be a state-of-the-art facility for Army, Navy and Air Force recruits, as well as seasoned officers looking to sharpen their skills or otherwise advance their careers," Governor Walker explained. "Specialized training will be offered, such as for traditional mounted officers and service horses, as well as hands-on experience with new, cutting-edge technology so that our servicesims are well-rounded, well-equipped, and well-prepared for the defense of both our region and our country."

She paused for more applause before concluding, "Thank you for your attendance and attention this afternoon. I will now take a few questions."

One of the journalists immediately walked forward with a question.

"Governor Walker," the journalist began, notebook and pen at the ready. "As you know, the military is one of the nation's largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Won't this facility increase our region's climate impacts?"

"I am happy to say that the facility will be powered, in part, by renewable energy, including several solar panels at the back of the facility," the Governor replied.

"Surely you know that is not enough—" the journalist fired back.

"It is possible that other green technologies could be tested at this and other government sites going forward, in-line with my administration's commitment to the future of our children and grandchildren," Walker interrupted. "The primary concern of this facility, though, is to fulfil an immediate need of our servicesims while supporting a community in desperate need of economic and population growth. Next question, please."

"This wasn't as exciting as I hoped," Ryker frowned, looking up at his mother sleepily. "There isn't even an astronaut here."

"Would you like to ask if they'll train astronauts here?" Bridget smiled sympathetically at the boy. He shrugged.

Bridget waited for the opportunity to ask while the Governor answered a question from the other journalist. To Bridget's disappointment, when the Governor finished her response, she thanked the audience again and stepped down from the podium.

The Governor's assistant quickly stood up and walked over.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" she asked quietly.

Jada Walker nodded, but was rubbing her temple. "I think I'm just tired from the trip out here and all this sun," she smiled weakly.

"I think the speech went very well, ma'am," the assistant commented.

"Thank you, dear. Would you see if the journalists have any other questions and take note of them? Let them know we'll be happy to answer further inquiries via email. I'll wait in the car."

"Of course, ma'am," the assistant smiled.

* * *

While Mr. Harley talked to Lieutenant Jackson, Chase waited with Aria's family at the back of the event area.

"Thanks for coming, Aria. You too, Ryker and Mrs. Tevellyn," Chase said. "I think my dad was glad to have people in the audience. He's been complaining about needing a new training facility for ages."

Ryker looked up at his mother, "Do you think Mr. Harley would know if they'll train astronauts here?"

"Maybe," Bridget smiled. "We can ask him before we go."

"I'm just hoping this doesn't encourage him to keep pushing for me to go to military school," Chase told Aria.

"You don't need to go to military school to join the Armed Forces, though, so even if you wants you to do that…" Aria trailed off.

"He says it's about discipline and setting higher standards for myself," Chase sighed.

Aria changed the subject and they talked a while longer before Mr. Harley joined them.

"Dad, this is Aria's mom, Mrs. Tevellyn, and one of her younger brothers, Ryker," Chase said, stepping back to let his father introduce himself.

"Group Captain Richard Harley, ma'am, nice to finally meet you," he said.

Out of his view, Chase rolled his eyes.

"Bridget. It's nice to meet you, too," Bridget replied, shaking his hand. "Chase tells me you've been working towards opening a new training facility for some time. It must have been an exciting day."

"Our new recruits could really benefit from having their own space and learning environment," Mr. Harley smiled. "At our nearest base, we're short on space and need to upgrade some of our systems as it is. It's a win-win to streamline our region's training resources, in my book."

"Sounds like it is," Bridget agreed. "And hopefully a benefit to Appaloosa Plains, as well."

"I should think so, ma'am," Mr. Harley said. "Although I must admit, I'm a bit biased as I think Chase would be more likely to join the Forces if he could train here, closer to Aria. I've only spoken to her a few times, but it's clear to me from how much Chase has grown that she's a good influence on him. You've raised a fine young lady."

"Thank you, Captain. It's always nice to have Chase around. He's so polite and helpful, and a great friend to Aria."

"Polite and helpful?" Mr. Harley furrowed his brow. "Well, it's great to hear he's not as much of a troublemaker away from home..."

Aria glanced over at Chase for his reaction, but Chase and Ryker were poking each other and trying not to burst out laughing. She thanked the Watcher that they were behind Mr. Harley while her mother tried to convince him that Chase was well-behaved to his high standards. It would only be a matter of time before Chase or Ryker would erupt into raucous laughter, though, so she leaned forward slightly and reached her arm out to prod Chase's shoulder and glare at him and her brother.

' _Knock it off,_ ' she mouthed silently, her eyes shooting daggers at the boys. They struggled, but managed to compose themselves and return their attention to their parents' conversation just in time.

"Oh, before I forget, Ryker was wondering if they'll do any space training at the new facility," Bridget was saying. "He's fascinated by space and has even submitted some discoveries to the Astrological Society."

"Has he now? Good man," Mr. Harley said, turning to the young boy. "Basic training for many different Forces careers will be available, including for astronauts. But becoming an astronaut is a lengthier process than joining some of the other divisions of the Armed Forces. It requires highly specialized training that is only offered in a few places around the world.

"But don't let that discourage you," he added. "It just means you'd have to travel for a while after finishing basic training."

"Oh, okay," Ryker smiled. "Thanks, Captain."

"You're welcome, young man. Keep up the good work," Mr. Harley said. "We should get home, but it was a pleasure to meet you all. I hope you enjoyed the event and have a nice evening… Come along, Chase."

With that, he began walking back towards his car.

"Being an astronaut sounds like a lot of work," Ryker sighed.

Bridget chuckled. "Don't worry about that for now. Keep exploring and doing what you like to do. There's lots of time to figure out what career you want."

Aria watched as Chase followed his father back to their car. The two were an obvious contrast. Mr. Harley carried himself with pride and confidence, his shoulders square and his steps evenly paced. Chase, on the other hand, looked defeated in his father's shadow. His shoulders slumped and he dragged his feet a little on most steps. She thought the day went well, but maybe Chase knew it had not gone well enough? Worry began to seep in. Would his father make him move away? Was she going to lose her only friend?

* * *

...

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ In the Build A City Challenge, the Military Base is unlocked when the town has 3 households. In my play-through, it was placed after Rukiya and Emery had their own homes. Since I want to have introductory chapters for each community lot and rabbit hole, I decided to do another entirely 'staged' chapter. It was a fun challenge to shoot and write since I don't use Pose Player or any other mods (yet?) and had to rely on the characters to decide how their conversations would play out.

Bring Jada Walker back as an Elder Sim/the Governor was fun, too, since she was a character I originally made up purely for the Prologue.

I also wanted to bring 'life' to the backstory for Chase that I had in my head while I played. It made sense to me that Dorothy's parents would want her to deliver newspapers to help instill some discipline or sense of responsibility in her. Since she has the Evil trait, I imagined she was a bit of a troublemaker and difficult for her parents to handle. In turn, that helps explain why her parents might be glad to have a break from her when she visits the Tevellyns. Chase, on the other hand, has the Good trait. Why would a 'Good' kid and Aria be rude to each other at first? Why would he have to deliver papers to houses in the middle of nowhere? Why would his parent(s) be willing to drive them out there to do so? Questions like these started to come up for me around this point in my gameplay, when the Military Base comes in. So in my head, Chase's father became a military man with high expectations. It's not that Chase is a 'bad' kid, but he isn't as motivated as his father would like him to be. Despite good intentions on both sides, their relationship is strained, and they have difficulty communicating with each other.

Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter 13: The Tevellyn House

_**Content warning:**_ _Mild coarse language and a suggestive scene._

* * *

"Now _that_ is a bridge!" Ryker said proudly, marveling at his colorful block construction.

"It looks good," Mason agreed.

Ryker and Mason were the only two who played with the toys in the playroom anymore, but they were both alright with that. They'd always gotten along, although Ryker was growing more annoyed with Mason's incessant questions by the day. Ryker shared his brother's curiosity, but preferred to try to figure things out on his own, while Mason tended to ask (and ask, and ask) for answers.

" _Good?_ " Ryker raised an eyebrow. " _This_ is how _it's done_ ," he told his brother.

"Okay," Mason shrugged.

Ryker scowled. How could the only Tevellyn younger than himself have ruined his sense of accomplishment? Mason was only 6, while _he_ was about to turn _10_ – the coveted _double digits_.

"Ryker?" Mason quietly asked. "Is Rukiya gonna' be another sister?"

"What?" Ryker scrunched his face. "That's not how it works."

"Well… what if she moves in with Emery and they get married?"

"Mason, Mason…" Ryker sighed. "So much to learn… logical thinking… appreciation for building techniques…"

Mason glared at him, but Ryker continued, "I'm surprised you noticed that Emery likes Rukiya, but—"

"It's super obvious," Mason rolled his eyes at his only-slightly-older brother's patronizing tone.

"—BUT," Ryker silenced him with a glare of his own. "Rukiya has a house already, dummy. _And_ a boyfriend. So I doubt she'll be moving in with Emery or marrying her any time soon."

"Oh," Mason frowned, looking back down at his half-built tower. "Is that why Emery's been sad?"

"And grumpy," Ryker huffed. "That girl needs to chill."

* * *

Like Ryker, Mason was also quite interested in their father's telescope. All of the Tevellyn children learned how to use it, but the youngest boys enjoyed it the most. Unfortunately for the elder ones, though, Mason was still figuring it out.

"Matthew?" Mason called out from his perch at the telescope one evening.

"Ugh, yes, Mason?" the teen replied with a less-than-enthusiastic tone. It was hot and humid despite that it was well-past sunset, and Matthew was trying to finish his workout so he could go inside for a refreshing shower.

"Which one is dad's?"

"Which star, you mean?" Matthew asked between stretches. "Buddy, I can't show you how to find it right now, I'm kind of in the middle of something."

Mason popped his head up from the eyepiece and watched Matthew stretching.

"Are you working out?"

"Yep," Matthew answered flatly.

"Can you teach me how?"

"Ugh," Matthew groaned. "Another time, okay?"

Mason looked through the telescope for another moment, then looked back up at his brother. "Hey, Matthew?"

"What?" Matthew answered reluctantly.

"Does being in love make teenagers grumpy?"

"What?" now he was just confused. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Well," Mason said, raising a finger matter-of-factly and stepping off his stool. "Emery has been grumpy because she likes Rukiya, and you're grumpy and you like Dorothy."

The boy smiled smugly and folded his arms. "Am I right?"

Matthew shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Mason."

"That wasn't a deni-al," he retorted in a sing-song voice, eyebrows raised.

Matthew turned up the stereo and started jumping jacks.

"Neither is tha-at!" Mason shouted over the music.

Unsurprisingly, Matthew ignored him.

* * *

The weather was nicer for Ryker's 10th birthday, so the family set up the balloons in the backyard and Bridget brought out the cake. Rukiya had already arrived and was dancing with Emery and Matthew, while Altman and Aria were discussing the songs coming through on the radio. Ryker's attention was focused on a stray dog that had wandered up to the property; he'd given the animal some water and was now entertaining it with a ball. Bridget smiled at the scene before her. The family was all together – except for Mason. She was about to call him outside when—

"Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom!" Mason's voice tore through the air.

"Yes, Mason?" Bridget replied with a laugh.

"Last night – Matthew – he went out," Mason said excitedly as he still tried to catch his breath. "And he came back really late–"

"Mason, your brother is old enough, he's allowed to–"

"No, no, that's not the part," Mason shook his head. "I checked his journal!"

"Mason!" Bridget snapped quietly. "It's rude to interrupt and it's even worse to go through your brother's things!"

"But mom," he whined. "It talks all about his horse! Can I have a horse?! I really would love to have a horse and I'll take such good care of it and–"

Bridget laughed and shook her head gently. "It's his notes for his books, love. We don't have – and are not getting – any horses right now."

"But mooommm–"

"You know whining is my favorite thing," she smirked. "Come on, stop fussing and let's have some cake."

The stray dog ran off, much to Ryker's disappointment, but he couldn't keep the smile off his face for long. His mother called everyone to gather 'round and everyone began to sing and cheer. It was time for cake!

After enjoying the cake and more dancing, Emery offered to walk Rukiya home. Rukiya was grateful for the company – she was always a bit anxious outside after dark. A fact that Emery knew by now, and planned to take full advantage of.

The two young women set off down the road towards Rukiya's house, chatting and laughing. Sometimes the walk down the hill felt long, but it never did when the two of them were together. They could talk about nothing and everything – well, almost everything. Emery knew the feelings she was holding back were causing tension between them. Unfortunately, it wasn't the type of tension she wanted, either. Maybe it was time to come clean about how she felt.

"You okay, Em?" Rukiya asked softly. "You got so quiet… something on your mind?"

"Hm?" Emery emerged from her daze. "Oh, sorry. Yeah, was just thinking…"

Another silence filled the air.

"Em?" Rukiya repeated. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Emery slowed her pace and Rukiya copied. Emery stopped a couple steps ahead of her friend, looked down at the sidewalk and sighed.

"I'm not sure, honestly," Emery admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

After another pause, Emery turned around. Her stomach was in knots, but courage swelled in her chest.

"Rukiya, I—I don't know how to say this, but… I want to say it. I've wanted to say it for so long, so I just will…" Emery held her breath for a moment, then admitted it: "I—I love you."

Rukiya's eyes widened and she inhaled nervously – it wasn't quite a gasp, which made Emery think she wasn't that surprised. In truth, Emery hadn't expected her feelings to come as a surprise. She'd been pining for Rukiya for so long – she must have known, or at least wondered. Rukiya hadn't gasped, but she also wasn't saying anything. Emery wasn't sure what that meant.

"I know you're with Shaun," Emery ended the silence. "That's why I've never said anything. I didn't want to be this annoying teenager that tried to mess things up for you. But now that I'm older… I guess, I feel like if my feelings for you haven't changed after all this time – and Shaun is still blowing it by being a non-committal dickhead – then I should finally tell you. I want you to know you have another option. I want you to know that I _want you_."

Emery swallowed, but her mouth was dry. She expected herself to be shaking from her nerves, but instead she felt as if her body were frozen. Her head was a balloon of anxiety tethered to reality by a body in shock, stunned to the point it almost felt unreal. Time, too, felt frozen. Her entire world had stopped turning and was stuck in this moment, waiting for Rukiya's reply as if nothing else would make the sun rise or set again. Her world was trapped between Rukiya's lips, stuck around her tongue, held still by her silence.

Until she spoke.

"You don't love me," Rukiya said quietly. "I know it must _feel_ like you do…" she continued, the pain evident in her voice, "but I don't think—"

"I _do_ love you, Rukiya," Emery said, her breathing growing heavier and shakier by the minute. "I'm sure of it. I wasn't always sure – but I am now. I don't know how else to describe wanting someone so _deeply_ as I have wanted you."

Emery moved closer and Rukiya stepped back to keep the same distance between them.

"I'm sorry," Rukiya said, tears welling in her eyes. "I should have… I should have cleared this up sooner. Said something… I suspected, but I didn't want to—I thought you'd grow out of it. You're like a sister to me, Emery. I didn't want to lose you as a friend, so I didn't say anything, but I should have and I'm so, so sorry."

Emery looked away as her eyelashes fluttered, batting away tears. Her lower lip quivered as she let out a trembling breath.

"I'm sorry," Rukiya choked out. "We should have talked about this sooner. I should have made the door more open for you to talk to me about how you felt, or encouraged your mom to talk to you about it… but I was a coward, like I always am. I was scared of things changing, of losing the only family I have."

Both women stood under the streetlight, tears gently moving down their cheeks and falling to the sidewalk. When Emery looked back at Rukiya, though, it wasn't sadness in her eyes. Her hurt turned into anger.

"You knew all this time," Emery huffed, wiping a tear from her cheek. "And you've stayed with that _man_ who has _no interest_ in what you want or what you like? And then you try to tell me how I feel? That I don't love you?"

Emery's breathing shook audibly. She swallowed, pushing back more tears.

"You think _he_ loves you?" Emery scoffed. "I thought you might just be scared to be alone and that's why you hadn't left him. That maybe if you knew I'd be there to take care of you, you could find the guts to admit that he's just in it for the sex—"

"Em," Rukiya tried to interrupt.

"If you don't feel the same way about me, I can live with that," Emery continued with a sharp tone, but her voice was starting to waver again. "If you're straight, so you're not interested, I can live with that. But don't tell me how I feel. And don't pretend Shaun loves you more than I do."

With that, she moved around Rukiya and started walking back up the hill towards her parents' house. Rukiya was left alone under the streetlight, trying to reassure herself. ' _Things will work out. She needed to get this off her chest. She'll understand. She'll come around. It'll be okay._ ' But was there some truth in what she'd said? ' _Shaun doesn't love me,_ ' the thought crept in. ' _And now maybe no one does at all._ '

* * *

Emery barely left her room for the next few days. The family correctly assumed that she must have had a difficult conversation with Rukiya after Ryker's party, and tried to give her space. It was difficult keeping up with the garden without her, though. Bridget and Altman woke up before dawn so they could avoid the brunt of the mid-day sun, but the weather had been so hot this season that they still struggled to be outside for long periods of time. They were especially grateful for her sprinkler system these days. Everyone knew that Emery was a big help around the house – and especially in the garden – but how much they relied on her became even more apparent now that she needed a break for a few days. Bridget wondered how she would manage once Emery moved out the following spring.

Altman encouraged Matthew and Aria to take more of an interest in the garden, but often wasn't much help himself. His knees were getting worse, so he tended to focus on preparing meals, fishing at Cinnamon Crest Falls, and keeping an eye on the construction of Emery's house. It broke his heart to hear her crying in her room, even now that she was an adult. She would always be his little girl. He knew the day would come when she'd suffer her first broken heart, but it hurt him to see it all the same. Time flew too quickly.

Altman could still see her as an 8-year-old: playing in the autumn leaves in front of the house; standing tip-toe on a stool in front of her easel, carefully watching as she moved a paintbrush along the canvas; or giggling with excitement as she reeled in a fish at the Falls.

She was so grown up now… they all were. It felt like yesterday that he was snuggling Ryker before tucking him into his crib for the night, and now he was teaching his younger brother how to fish. _Time flew too quickly._

Trying to give Emery space and privacy highlighted the family's need for more usable indoor space. The main entrance of the house currently led into a kitchen-dining combination, then a hallway which connected to the bathroom and bedrooms. Bridget and Altman had always planned to move the kitchen and dining area and replace its current location with a living room, but they'd been more focused on other projects such as the pool and Emery's house. Now that all the kids were older, they all wanted more space to themselves, and the inside of the house needed to be more of a priority.

Meanwhile, Altman also had to consider Matthew's house. They would need to start planning what they wanted to build and choose a lot the following year if Matthew wanted to move out at 20 years old like Emery would.

Matthew was keen on the idea of living on a ranch, which Altman hoped wasn't expressly for the sake of "adopting a unicorn" – the premise of Matthew's next book. Altman had to admit he found it strange that his son hadn't grown out of his unicorn obsession, but he also didn't want to start an argument about it and risk damaging their relationship. The last thing Altman wanted was to lose touch with any of his children.

So, he agreed. Altman and Matthew would work on some initial plans for a small house and a horse paddock. Ideally, construction would begin after the renovations to Bridget and Altman's house were finished the following spring or summer. They would have until then to pick what property they'd buy for Matthew's ranch.

* * *

It was nearly two weeks before Emery started working in the garden again. She was still being rather quiet, but being outside seemed to be helping her mood. Slowly but surely, she started to seem more like herself. She even began encouraging Matthew and Aria, and taught them some tips and tricks for pruning and harvesting. They had a lot to learn if they were going to take over for Emery after she moved out.

One of those first few days 'back outside,' Emery came in to find Bridget had just set the table for lunch. She smiled and walked over, wrapping her mother in a hug.

"Feeling more yourself now, love?" Bridget asked softly.

"Yeah," Emery sighed, glancing at the grilled cheese sandwiches on the table.

"They're still a bit hot," Bridget smiled knowingly. "We have a minute if you want to talk before I call the kids in for lunch."

Emery rolled her eyes, but briefly returned her mother's smile. It was clear her sadness returned to the surface when she thought of talking about it.

"Will you be okay when I move out?" she asked.

"We'll manage. But that's not what's bothering you," Bridget kept her voice low and her tone soft.

"I told Rukiya I love her," Emery sighed. "Ended up arguing…."

"I see," Bridget sighed. "Arguments happen, though, my love. It doesn't mean you won't work it out and be friends again."

"I know… I just wanted it to go differently."

"One day it will, Emery. Maybe not with Rukiya, but there will be another woman or man down the road. We don't usually meet the right person right away."

Emery nodded.

"I know it's not much consolation. But it'll get easier with time. And never doubt that you'll find someone, if that's what you want," Bright smiled.

"Thanks, mom."

* * *

The rest of the year was busy, and Emery spent much of the winter working on the interior of her house and getting it ready so she could move in the following spring as planned.

When the day finally arrived, the family gathered outside. Emery laughed, reminding them she'd just be two lots over and they could visit anytime.

"It's still a big deal," Altman beamed.

Emery returned his smile and gave him a big hug. "Thanks for helping me with everything, dad."

"Anytime, kiddo," he replied.

"Our first baby to leave the nest…" Bridget said with a tear in her eye.

"Oh, mom," Emery laughed. They hugged, too.

Aria, Ryker and Mason each had their turns as well. They were all looking forward to seeing her finished place, and were happily imagining what their own might be.

Matthew was the last to say goodbye. Still very close, it was obvious that the two were getting a bit emotional. Being 20 and 18, though, they weren't going to let themselves cry in front of all their younger siblings.

Emery hugged Matthew tightly and whispered that she loved him. "Yeah, you too," he mumbled in reply.

With that, Emery waved and gave a 'final' goodbye before walking down the street with the last of her things. It was the beginning of a big new chapter in her life, and she was looking forward to it.

* * *

While Emery got settled in, the remainder of the Tevellyn house was busy with the interior renovations. They were finished by the end of the season. Meanwhile, Matthew and Aria set up the garden between the house and the pool, rather than its original location between the house and playroom. It made for a less crowded view when Sims approached the house and allowed for a more clear delineation of spaces: a patio area for the barbecue, outdoor easel and Aria's workbench; another for the outdoor stereo and picnic tables; and of course, the garden on one side and the pond on the other. The new layout was a much better use of space, both indoors and out.

The main entrance of the home now led into a warm living area with comfortable seating, a coffee table, bookshelf, and easel. Matthew and Dorothy used the space the most. While the kitchen was being finished, Matthew and Aria had to temporarily share a bedroom (since neither wanted to share with Mason, who continued to find an endless list of questions to ask them at every opportunity). Since Aria and Dorothy had never gotten along, Aria made a point to be in their room when Dorothy was over, forcing them to spend time in the living room. Somehow, they still managed to find enough privacy to get into trouble.

When Aria wasn't reading or practicing piano, she was usually busy helping Bridget in the garden, and Altman was often at the Falls with Ryker and Mason, leaving the enamoured teenagers to their own devices. They were opportunities Dorothy was _always_ sure to take advantage of.

She loved the thrill of turning Matthew on with just a look, or a gentle touch on his thigh or hip. She knew most teenage boys were horny, but she still liked to think that with Matthew, there was something special about _her_ that really got him going. It seemed a little _too_ easy sometimes for her to get him kissing and groping at her. It made her feel sexy to be so wanted. After a few kisses, she could have him in the palm of her hand – figuratively or somewhat literally – and have his hands wherever she wanted them. All too often, she wanted them on her skin, up her skirt – and, well, further up.

"You like that?" he murmured as Dorothy purred. "Sounds like you do…"

By now he knew exactly what she liked, and she wasn't afraid to give him instruction when she wanted to.

"You're going to make a mess in your skirt," he smirked.

Suddenly, she grabbed his wrist to stop him. His smile fell.

"You okay?"

"You look so worried," Dorothy laughed. "Don't be, I'm just going to change into my bathing suit. Wouldn't want to make a mess in my skirt, apparently."

She smirked and stood up. Matthew was at once disappointed to have stopped, but had to admit, he still liked the view as she walked towards the bathroom.

He went to his room and changed quickly, trying to tuck himself so it wouldn't be too obvious if someone saw him on his way to the pool. Dorothy was still in the bathroom, and his mind started running wild thinking about joining her in there, where they could lock the doors…

"Dorothy?" he half-whispered at the door. "Want me to come in?"

She giggled as she emerged in her green and purple bikini. Adorned with little white skulls and crossbones, Matthew had never understood the design's appeal, but he never complained. After all, when she wore it, she was barely dressed.

"Want to take me in the bathroom, do you?" Dorothy cooed as Matthew pulled her close.

"You can feel how much I do," he growled before kissing her.

"You're so bad," she giggled.

" _I'm_ bad?" Matthew scoffed playfully. " _You're_ the one who took my virginity behind a tree."

"You're really never going to let that go, hm?" Dorothy laughed.

"My parents could have seen us from the kitchen windows," Matthew said in mock dismay.

"Shut up and kiss me," Dorothy sighed, pulling at his shoulder with one hand and reaching back for the doorknob with the other.

"And now you're going to lock me in the bathroom with you?!" Matthew smirked. "Scandalous!"

"Shut _up!_ " she laughed, leading him into the bathroom by the tie of his swim trunks.

* * *

They turned 19 that fall. As usual, they celebrated in the Tevellyns' yard and the party began with some dancing.

When it was time for cake, everyone clapped and cheered. But as usual, Aria only cheered when it was Matthew's turn to blow out his candles.

As the kids eagerly waited for their slices, Matthew turned to his girlfriend and held her close.

"I love you, Dorothy," he said softly, ignoring Ryker and Mason's expressions of disgust.

"I love you, too," she blushed. "Happy birthday."

"Here's to many more," he beamed. "Together."

" _UGHHHH,_ " Mason and Ryker protested, but the couple ignored them and enjoyed their moment.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ My apologies for the long hiatus! At first I was stuck on how to write Emery's confession to Rukiya, then was having computer problems and a good ol' dose of winter blues. I'm happy to be back and hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Emery & Rukiya's chat was staged; I didn't have proper screenshots from my original challenge play-through. I don't use Pose Player or other mods (yet?), so the Sims' facial expressions directed a lot of how I ended up writing it.

Similarly, Matt & Dorothy's scenes were re-shoots. I somehow didn't have any good interior shots of the new living room or kitchen to showcase in this chapter, so I used the opportunity to add a bit of spice (wink). For their birthday, I needed a re-shoot since the Sims default life stages don't line up well with what ages they're supposed to be; Ryker had aged up to a teen already. I've adjusted the life stages for Gen 2 to avoid having so many re-shoots to do for Part Two, which will also help me release chapters more consistently/easily.

Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 14: Emery's Studio

Emery's home was tucked amidst the trees, towards the back of her lot. She wanted it as close to the path to Cinnamon Crest Falls as possible – the added privacy was a bonus.

She'd envisioned something similar to a treehouse, but maybe that was childish of her. Emery had to admit her father's plans were more practical. To his credit, he did a great job of using the treehouse idea for inspiration. The first floor was smaller than the second – like a tree trunk holding up its branches. Ivy-covered columns stood guard around the entrance, supporting the large, wrap-around deck above. For now, the entryway was empty except for a spiral staircase. The flooring hadn't been finished in time, but Emery didn't mind; she'd be spending most of her time outdoors or upstairs.

The stairs lead to an open, airy space for the kitchen, dining and office areas. It was very simple, but she knew she could make it work. It was much more spacious than the cabin her mother had started in – and Emery's house had a separate bedroom from the start. She was excited to have so much space to herself. And it was so quiet!

Emery made her bed and unpacked the last of her clothes. She planned to start her garden the following morning – for now, she wanted to enjoy her private peace and quiet. No children running around! No teenagers making out! She knew she'd probably get lonely sometimes and miss when she could walk through any door and have a conversation with someone or find someone to go to the Falls on a whim. But for now, she was completely content. Solace in solitude, indeed.

* * *

Emery woke up early the next morning feeling the most well-rested she'd ever been. She couldn't remember the last time she woke up on her own rather than from someone making noise or an alarm to make sure she got up to do her chores. It was refreshing to wake up slowly and notice the gentleness of the morning sunlight making its way through the window. She could get used to this!

She stretched and lazily made her way into the kitchen for some cereal before getting dressed into her workout gear. It was going to be a long day out in the garden, but at least the weather was supposed to be good. Plus, Bridget had been kind enough to help Emery set up a sprinkler system next to the house, which was sure to make things easier.

Emery was in the yard all day digging, planting and weeding, but she was happy with how it turned out. She managed to plant everything her mom had sent with her – some basics for the kitchen like lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and garlic, as well as some fruit trees. She looked around to admire her work before heading inside for a much-needed shower. As she walked up the stairs, she wondered if she'd planted too much… She wasn't going to have help like in her mother's garden. Emery tried to push the thought from her mind. The sprinkler would help, and if planting it all _was_ a mistake, there was nothing she could do about it now.

After her shower she stayed in just her towel while she put some water to boil and dumped a box of macaroni into the pot. It was nearly done when she returned to the kitchen in her pajamas. Emery closed her eyes and smiled to herself. All she could hear was the water bubbling and some crickets chirping outside. She could _definitely_ get used to this.

After dinner she left her bowl in the sink and read through the last chapter she wrote for the novel she was working on. She made a few small tweaks, but otherwise she didn't feel very motivated or inspired to work on it more that night. ' _I'm probably more tired than I realize,_ ' she thought, and decided to go to bed. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Her plants were growing beautifully and didn't need much help over the next couple weeks, so Emery was able to enjoy the spring weather. She spent most of her days painting out on the deck. One of her favorite pieces was a reimagining of the view from her spot at the easel: a sun-kissed mountainside surrounded in greenery. She felt at home in her new place, now that she'd settled in. She was more relaxed, and it showed in her art and writing, creating some of her best work to date.

Emery enjoyed the quiet evenings to herself, trying out new recipes and working on her novel. She thought of her family often, but she didn't feel lonely. She called home every few days to chat with everyone and promised to have Ryker and Mason over for a visit soon. (She just hoped they wouldn't be too bored!) Altman offered to have regular fishing 'dates' like when she was a kid, one morning a week. Similarly, Matthew asked if she'd be interested in going to the Falls with him on the occasional weeknight. Emery looked forward to both. She was glad that her new living arrangement was working out. She felt much more comfortable in her own company, in her own space, with scheduled family time rather than constant contact and proximity.

Once or twice a day, she'd venture out into the garden and tend to the plants. It was a lot to manage but wasn't as challenging as she'd feared. Having kids around definitely made things more difficult back at her parents' place. But at Emery's, the garden was peaceful and flourishing.

* * *

Everything was going well and Emery easily found time for everything she wanted to do. Her garden was great, her art was great, she'd made more progress on her novel in her first couple months in her new home than she had in her last couple years at her parents' place… but something felt like it was missing.

Maybe what was missing was a sense of progress? Back at her parents', everything had always felt rushed and there was always something more to do. Did the lack of pressure take away from her sense of accomplishment? She sold some of her art pieces online and connected with a publisher to plan for her novel's release. It didn't solve the problem, but it felt awesome. Maybe she was on the right track. Maybe she needed a sense of advancement.

Emery's concern and confusion slowly ate at her throughout her day and she started to notice herself being more critical of her art and writing as she worked. At the same time, she knew she should be proud of herself – objectively, she was doing an excellent job expressing her creativity and earning good income. From what she understood, it was difficult for a lot of people to make money doing what she was doing, but it seemed to come naturally to her. Maybe that's what was missing? Maybe she wasn't feeling challenged enough?

She decided to turn to the internet for help. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, so she tried to find stories from other artists who had been in a similar position. Advice on self-care and finding your muse were the main themes, which didn't feel very helpful. She had no shortage of inspiration and felt she had a pretty healthy and balanced lifestyle. Maybe she needed more friends? She was on good terms with Rukiya again, but they weren't as close as before. If she was honest with herself, Emery wasn't completely over Rukiya, either. She was hesitant to reach out. But there weren't any other options in Appaloosa Plains at the moment.

After discussing it with her mom, Emery thought maybe it was time for an adventure. Bridget encouraged her to see what she might learn if she spent more time in Bridgeport's art community or if she went to an art school somewhere. Sometimes moms knew best – it sounded like a great idea! She'd be able to meet people, she'd get to advance her technique, and she'd have something to look forward to for the rest of the gardening season to keep her spirits up.

Bridgeport's art scene didn't really appeal to Emery, so she started looking into art schools. Sim City had one that sounded amazing, but she worried that a city that size would be too overwhelming for her. After browsing a dozen art school websites, she found an institute in Champs Les Sims, France that instantly felt right. A quick search informed her that Champs Les Sims was a cute small town near the country's capital. They had an impressive museum and were known for their exquisite nectars. The institute was no _École des beaux arts_ , but Emery had little desire to live in the capital. Besides, this was supposed to be a fun adventure, not a tooth-and-nail fight to get into the most prestigious art school in France. The _École nationale supérieure d'art des Champs Les Sims_ (ENSA Champs) was still a highly respected place to study. Emery applied to the school and began browsing local attractions. She had a good feeling about this!


	16. Ch 15: Cinnamon Falls & Matthew's Lot

It was an evening at the Falls like any other. Matthew sat by the water's edge reading a book, waiting to see if Aasifa would visit. He didn't come every evening, but he was there several nights a week and usually saw his unicorn friend at least once. He'd hand over the produce _du jour_ and they'd enjoy the quiet crashing of the waterfall for an hour or two. Usually Aasifa would hunt for seeds to munch on and Matthew would read or fish, making the occasional comment to Aasifa or updating her on his life. That night, he wanted to tell her he picked a lot for his ranch.

Sure enough, Aasifa quietly emerged from the trees shortly after nightfall. Matthew's eyes were on his book, but he noticed her familiar hooffalls when she got closer. He looked up and watched her as she walked up to the pond and drank some water.

When she looked up at him, he smiled. "Hey," he said softly.

A familiar yet inexplicable sensation washed over him as Aasifa gave him her blessing once again. He was filled with warmth and a sense of calm despite the bright light that flashed before his eyes, then settled into sparkling lights around him. He smiled and took a deep breath, enjoying his newfound feeling of bliss.

"You have something to tell me?" Aasifa's ethereal voice asked. Matthew still wasn't used to hearing her without being able to pinpoint the source of the sound. Did she even make sound, or did his brain just _think_ she did, so he could understand her? For now, though, he had to answer Aasifa's question.

"Yes," Matthew smiled and stood up. "I've found a perfect spot for my ranch."

Aasifa cocked her head. "Moving farther from the Falls…" her voice remarked. "You're excited to live farther away from here?"

Matthew's smile faltered. "That's actually the one part of moving that I'm not excited about," he clarified. "But… there will be room there for you, if you want to visit when I can't come out to the Falls."

"Visit…" Aasifa's voice said softly. She walked closer to him. "That is really what you want?"

"Well, um," he hesitated. "You could live there, with Dorothy and I, if you wanted… I would like you to."

"First, prove to me that you are a friend to all creatures. Only then will I consider your offer," she replied.

"As you wish," Matthew bowed deeply.

"And I smell vegetables," Aasifa added.

Matthew chuckled and offered her the lettuce and tomatoes he brought. She gobbled them up from his palm, invited him to pet her neck, then walked off to look for seeds to gobble up as well.

* * *

The next morning, Matthew took his father down to the lot he had in mind. It was much closer to the center of what might one day be 'downtown' than it was to his parents' house or the Falls. He hoped the location would help Dorothy want to move there with him; it would offer more opportunities for her and one day, their children, if local businesses or a school opened. At the same time, the lot was big enough for a modest ranch home and horse paddocks.

"Well, here it is," Matthew announced proudly, turning to his father. "The site of my future home! What do you think?"

Based on his expression, the lot was not exactly what Altman expected. But Matthew's only closer option would have been on the same street as his parents' and sister's houses, which didn't seem very appealing.

Altman didn't reply right away. Instead, he turned to survey the empty lot. A trail ran along one side and curved behind the property. A smaller lot with a paddock and hay storage behind it sat on the other. He had to admit it was a decent location for a ranch, but he had hoped Matthew would choose a location closer to home.

"Dad?" Matthew asked, walking onto the lot to catch up with him. "What do you think?"

"I'm warming up to it," Altman smiled. "It would suit a ranch."

"One day it'll be close to downtown, but it still has plenty of room," Matthew added. "And to save some money we can make the paddock match that old one next door. Like we're trying to preserve the local character."

"Mhm," Altman agreed. "I wonder if we can get any salvaged wood from when they tore everything down."

"You can see home from here, you know," Matthew smiled, motioning towards the hill with one hand. "See?"

Altman smiled at his son and nodded.

"And the river, over there," Matthew added. "It's a beautiful spot."

"The trail, too, it'll be great for when you have horses."

The men looked around a bit more and shared ideas before heading home. To both of their surprise, they continued the discussion for most of the walk home and the trip passed quickly.

"I'm so glad you liked the lot," Matthew said when they got home. He went into his room to grab a sweater and pulled it on as he returned to the kitchen, where his father waited.

"I'm glad it's not one of the even larger lots down by the river," Altman admitted. "Do you think Dorothy will like it?"

"I hope so," Matthew answered. "Actually, I was going to ask you something about her."

"Well, we've assumed for a long time that you'll want the house built for two," Altman smirked. "But if you're going to ask if I think she'll like living on a ranch, I'm not sure I have the answer you're looking for."

Matthew smiled, but winced a little. "Well she's coming to visit tonight, and, uh…"

"You should show her the lot," Altman smiled.

"Yeah… Actually, I was thinking of taking her to the Falls…"

Altman examined his son's face suspiciously. "Mhm?"

"Dad… I'm going to ask her to marry me," Matthew announced. "Well, assuming you and mom, uh, are okay with that? I know I should be asking Dorothy's parents, too, but she's not really talking to them right now and I don't have a way to go see them, and—"

"Nervous?" Altman interrupted.

Matthew swallowed hard, his eyes wide.

"Don't be," his father smiled. "Your mother and I haven't always understood your relationship with Dorothy, but it's clear as day that you're both very in love."

Matthew looked relieved. "Thanks dad."

"I'm sure she'll say yes," Altman continued. "The only thing I'd be worried about is whether she'll want to move out here with you. You can't sacrifice your dreams of running a ranch and writing your novels for a woman, even if you are in love with her."

Matthew's smile faltered. "Yeah…" he muttered. "Maybe we'll talk about that, first."

Matthew rehearsed how he'd broach the subject, especially if he was going to bring it up before the proposal. Before his dad mentioned it, he hadn't been worried about whether Dorothy would agree to move to Appaloosa Plains. They'd talked about hypothetical futures plenty of times, often imagining themselves on a ranch… but now that he thought about it more carefully, he realized Dorothy had also mentioned scenarios where they lived in the city. In fact, he realized he wasn't even sure if she wanted a family. Some scenarios had little versions of themselves running around, but others didn't. Did they want the same things?

Some of his concern evaporated when he saw her coming up to the house. More melted away when he heard her voice call, "Hello." They _had_ to find a way to make things work between them. He loved her and didn't want to try to love someone else just to make the question of where he'd live easier.

"Hi, beautiful," Matthew smiled as Dorothy walked into his arms.

After a quick bathroom break, Dorothy agreed to drive to Cinnamon Crest Falls. Matthew was quiet on the drive over and walked straight to the water's edge when they arrived. Dorothy caught up after locking her car.

"You okay?" she asked. "You've been so quiet."

"Uh… yeah," Matthew said, clearly distracted.

"Matt?" Dorothy prompted. "What is it?"

"Do you, uh…" he muttered. ' _Get a grip,_ ' he urged himself.

"I took my dad to see the lot I picked out," he blurted. "For, uh, my ranch."

"Uh huh," Dorothy smirked. "And?"

"Well, uh—he, um, made me realize that I haven't really asked you if you'd, uh—"

Dorothy raised her eyebrows. "You're not sure I'd like it?"

"Yeah… living on a ranch, I mean," he said.

She smiled, which began to reassure him. "I'm not dealing with any horse crap, if that's what you're asking," Dorothy laughed. "But Matt, you've been talking about this ranch since you were a kid. Even when you played along and we dreamed about moving overseas, I knew staying here was what you really wanted."

Matthew let out a sigh of relief.

"Besides, I've known since we were little that I have to share your heart with that unicorn," she added with another smirk.

Matthew laughed and finally relaxed. As she smiled at him, he found himself staring into her eyes and getting lost in their deep grey color. ' _Watcher, she's beautiful,_ ' he thought.

"What?" she asked sweetly.

"You know what," he said, taking her hand and moving closer.

"I like hearing it."

Matthew leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered back, resting her hand on his shoulder.

He turned his head to kiss her gently, then started to move away. Getting down on one knee, he tried to remember everything he'd practiced saying in his head. His thoughts were racing with everything he could say to try to explain how much he loved Dorothy, how beautiful she was, how relieved he was that she'd move to Appaloosa Plains to help him realize his dreams, how he wanted to make her dreams a reality, too. But none of the words came out of his mouth. He began to panic – he was already on one knee, she had to know what he was going to ask next. ' _Get it together, man!_ ' Matthew urged himself.

"Dorothy," he managed to say. "I wish I could explain how I feel about you… how much I've always loved you… but even though I'm a writer, I don't think I'll ever find the words."

She let out a small gasp as Matthew reached for his pocket.

"I think you're one of the most intelligent and fun people I'll ever meet. And on top of that, you're gorgeous, and you've been incredibly supportive – I never could have asked for someone who has helped me grow as a person the way you have. I hope I've helped you, too," Matthew continued.

Dorothy nodded as tears welled in her eyes.

"I don't want that to change. I want to keep loving and helping each other like we always have," he opened the ring box to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "Dorothy, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she cried. "Yes, of course, yes!"

Matthew's smile brightened. He slid the ring onto Dorothy's finger and she admired it while he stood up.

"Oh, Matthew, it's _gorgeous!_ "

" _You'r—_ "

"Don't," Dorothy laughed. "Proposals are cheesy enough," she added, wiping a tear from her eye with one hand while still admiring the new ring on the other.

"I love you," Matthew said softly. He touched her arm and leaned in for a kiss.

"I love you!" she replied, practically falling into him for a hug.

He held her close. "I can't wait to finally marry you."


	17. Ch 16: Tevellyn House & Button Ranch

Matthew and Dorothy continued to live at their parents' houses for another year while their ranch was being built. As much as they knew the young couple loved one another, Bridget and Altman still worried that Dorothy wasn't the best choice for their son, although her willingness to move to Appaloosa Plains helped reassure them. Perhaps they had judged her too harshly because she didn't get along well with their other children. They didn't know what Dorothy wanted for her future, but she was committing to a major lifestyle change to support their son's dreams – maybe Matthew _would_ be happy with her.

Aria's house would be next, but they weren't ready to start planning it. For now, she was enjoying exploring her creative passions. As she got older, Aria did less painting and spent more time practicing piano and inventing things. She'd even recruited Ryker to help her make a workbench they could use for their tinkering projects. Aria liked inventing various widgets, while Ryker mostly made himself and Mason new toys.

Ryker and Mason were also avid anglers, like the other Tevellyn children before them. Altman counted himself very lucky to still get so much quality time with his little ones. Even if he was too tired to venture to the Falls, he and the boys could fish in their backyard pond.

Altman was also pleased to see the boys so interested in chess. They were getting very competitive and could even beat him in a game once in awhile! Mason could often be found practicing in the playroom, which was now more often used as Matthew's office and for Aria and Chase's jam sessions than it was for the kids' play time.

Chase's guitar skills continued to improve, although Aria knew her piano playing was still miles ahead. Chase always said she had a natural talent, but she insisted she just had more time to practice. She didn't attend school – not to mention that Mr. Harley probably enforced a physical training regimen to prepare Chase for the military. That's what she assumed, anyway, since he was building muscle.

Aria did have less time to focus on her music in the warmer months, though, since she and her mother did most of the gardening work. She enjoyed it, though. Gardening gave her quiet time to think and spend with Bridget. There was something peaceful about working with the plants – even when Ryker and Mason were noisily running around the yard.

The family celebrated Ryker's thirteenth birthday that summer. Bridget was thrilled that Rukiya attended the party; she missed seeing her friend more often. Seeing her in the same room as Emery also made her realize neither of them had mentioned anything about how their relationship was going. Bridget hoped that was a good thing – they both seemed happy, so it couldn't be too bad.

The family's cheers subsided as smoke rose from the newly extinguished candles. Ryker smiled proudly around the room.

"You might be a teenager now, but your hair is still a mess," Mason snickered.

"You'll shut up if you want any cake," Ryker smirked, picking up a knife.

As he cut the cake, the others resumed their conversations.

"It's too bad Chase couldn't make it, Aria, you could have played one of your songs for everyone," Bridget smiled.

"I forgot Chase plays guitar," Emery chimed in. "I actually just started learning. We should all hang out sometime and you guys can give me some pointers."

"Sure," Aria shrugged. "I think he had a sports game or something today, but I'm sure he'll be around another weekend."

"Did you bring your guitar?!" Mason asked excitedly. "Can you play it for us? Can you? Can I get lessons from Chase, too?"

"I did bring it," Emery laughed. "But Chase isn't going to give me lessons, I'm learning myself. Maybe when you're a bit older you can teach yourself a bit, then we can help you."

Mason sighed. "Well can you at least play me something?"

"I'm not very good, but sure, I can if you want. After our cake."

As promised, Emery started to strum a simple tune for Mason after they finished eating. Aria watched, too and offered some suggestions for things to practice. While they were distracted, Dorothy quietly got up from her chair and snuck up behind Mason. Everyone was so focused on their conversations that they didn't notice until it was too late.

Dorothy suddenly shouted, "AHH!" causing Mason to shriek in surprise.

Dorothy as she laughed, delighted with her little stunt, and Ryker couldn't help but laugh, too. Bridget and Matthew, however, were less amused. Bridget walked over to comfort Mason, while Matthew asked Dorothy not to cause a scene.

"It was just a bit of fun," Dorothy chuckled. "He's fine."

Aria stormed off to avoid making things worse by fighting with Dorothy. Rukiya was standing alone in the kitchen with a concerned look on her face.

"No use getting involved," Aria sighed. "How are you? It's been awhile."

"I'm alright," Rukiya smiled. "And you? Keeping up with the garden?"

"Yeah," Aria smiled awkwardly. "It's a lot of work, but I like it… I wish I had more time for my music though."

"Oh, do you want a career in music? I'm sure you'd be great – you're so talented."

"Thanks," Aria winced. "I'm not sure though… I think I just get more practice than most people… I really like playing and composing, but I don't know if it's what I want to do. I think I'd have to move to the city to make it work, and I don't think I'd like it there."

Rukiya nodded. "You have lots of time to look into it," she said. "Maybe you'd surprise yourself and a move would be good."

"Yeah… I'm sure France will be great for Emery," Aria replied.

"France?" Rukiya frowned.

"Oh—uh, yeah, she didn't tell you?" Aria stuttered. "She applied to an art school there."

"That's great," Rukiya smiled half-heartedly. "That'll be really good for her."

"You should ask her about it, I'm sure she'd love to tell you more," Aria tried to reassure her. "I think she's nervous about being away – not to mention learning _Sim_ _ç_ _ais_."

Rukiya's smile brightened. "I'll ask her, then," she said softly. "Thanks, Aria."

Aria sighed as Rukiya headed towards the living room. In truth, she was grateful that the conversation had shifted to focus on her sister. Aria didn't want to think about her own future just yet; she had no idea where to start and was busy enough as it was. She'd much rather be gardening, tinkering at her workbench or playing an instrument than planning out where she'd live or what career she wanted to pursue. Her parents didn't exactly have "careers" – but they still had incomes. Couldn't the same work for her? She didn't want to be pushed into a career like Chase's dad kept pushing him towards joining the military. She wanted to do what she enjoyed. She could figure out the money later. Still, the issue badgered her from the back of her mind for the rest of the season.

She was grateful Chase never wanted to talk about 'the future' either. Chase would rant about his dad sometimes, and that was really the only time that they discussed his options. Even then, the conversation would often shift to a future scenario where they were in a band together. It was fun to think about, but neither of them really wanted to move to a big city and struggle through life until they got "discovered" by some record label.

This was one of the reasons Aria knew Chase wanted to talk about something serious when asked if she wanted to walk down to the community garden. It was a beautiful autumn day, so a walk _would_ be nice, but she suspected he was looking for extra privacy rather than extra fresh air.

"You seem nervous," Chase pointed out when they arrived.

"We've always been able to talk about whatever at my place," Aria explained.

"Yeah…" Chase trailed off.

"Is your dad sending you to military school?" Aria asked, looking at her feet. "If you're moving away, just tell me. Don't drag it out, okay?"

"Hey," Chase said softly, taking her hands in his. "I'm not going anywhere."

His hands were warm, but not sweaty or anything gross. She'd always wondered if holding his hands would feel gross or weird… but it didn't. Warmth started rushing to her cheeks and she slowly took her hands back.

"It's, uh– it's not something bad," Chase stammered as he pulled his hands away, too.

' _Is he blushing?_ ' Aria wondered. It was hard to tell since they'd just walked down the hill and it was warm outside. She tried to remember whether his cheeks were that flushed when they first got there, but she couldn't. She realized she was staring and started focusing on looking inquisitive, instead.

"Oh? What is it?"

"Well, uh, I know your dad will probably ask you about planning your house, soon, so…" he began, but paused a moment before continuing. "I guess I was thinking we could move in together."

' _Did he just move closer again?_ ' Aria wondered. ' _He seems to be standing really close. Maybe it's just in my head… Ugh, calm down, Aria! Focus!'_ she urged herself. He was waiting for her answer.

"You want to live together?" she finally asked.

"Well… yeah, if you'd be cool with that," Chase said awkwardly. "If my dad's going to make me join the military, at least it would be bearable if I lived here with my best friend."

"You really mean that?" Aria smiled.

"Of course I do," Chase laughed. "Would be a weird joke if I didn't."

"Oh, yeah," Aria tried to laugh it off. "I guess it would."

"So, you'd be cool with living down by the river, near the base?" Chase reiterated.

"If I'd be living with my best friend," Aria smiled.

"Cool," Chase smiled back. "We should definitely have a garage or something for band practice then."

"Definitely," Aria agreed. She hoped it wasn't too obvious that she was still blushing.

* * *

Matthew moved out near the end of fall. As they had for Emery, the family gathered outside to say goodbye and wish Matthew luck in his new home. Unlike with Emery, though, this time someone was coming with a moving van. Dorothy had rented one and would drive Matthew down to their new house.

Matthew hugged each of his family members and said his goodbyes while they waited for Dorothy to arrive. Altman had to wipe tears from his eyes despite Aria and Ryker's best efforts to keep the mood light. A moving van came up the hill as Mason asked for an extra hug.

Dorothy hopped out of the rental van and greeted the Tevellyns, then asked Matthew, "You ready to go? My stuff won't unpack itself."

Matthew nodded and replied with a cheerful, "Yep," before giving his family a final wave and following Dorothy to the van.

"Take care, you guys," he called as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"You too," Bridget called back. "We'll see you soon."

Dorothy drove down the hill and made a right near the boarding house, then a slight left onto Ednamary Way. Their new home was on a spacious lot – the first on the right. Perhaps the large lot was what made the house seem particularly small? Clad in blue siding, the building was tucked into a front corner of the lot. The windows and front door were wooden – oak or maple, Dorothy thought – and well-crafted. Rustic stonework accented the entrance and three small peaks at the front of the roof. Matthew had already planted some vegetables along the front, probably to make up for a lack of time to do proper landscaping. Behind the house was a horse paddock with a stall and open-air hayloft, which looked to have been built using original wood from before the clear out of Appaloosa Plains.

"What do you think?" Matthew asked her with a smile as they got out of the van.

"I think it's _ours_ ," Dorothy smiled sweetly.

Matthew laughed. "Don't worry, I'll keep doing work on it until it's the ranch of our dreams."

"Did I insult you in some way?" Dorothy gasped jokingly. "Who's to say this isn't already the ranch of my dreams?"

"I'm not sure," Matthew said with mock thoughtfulness. "Maybe… its entire aesthetic?"

"I like the stonework," Dorothy smirked.

They laughed, then Matthew put one arm under Dorothy's shoulder and the other behind her knees, scooping her up to carry her to the front door.

Dorothy kissed him softly. "I'm not worried about it, Matt. This is only the beginning. And you did so much of the work yourself!"

Matthew smiled and let her down so he could open the door. "The future ranch of your dreams, madam," he said as he pulled the handle. "After you."

Matthew could tell Dorothy wasn't impressed by the interior, but he appreciated that she tried to hide it. She was usually very direct; it was rare for her to try to avoid hurting someone's feelings – even his. She only took a quick glance around before suggesting they unload her things from the van.

Dorothy walked further into the front room towards a work area of some kind. It had a pegboard where some tools were hanging, but no tabletop or storage space, just some sort of large, flat wheel.

"We can just put everything here, next to the—um—what is this?" she asked.

"It's for your art," Matthew beamed. "Like, making sculptures and things. I found a company that ships the materials straight to your door, so I'll show you how to order that."

"Oh," Dorothy said simply. "Well, for now let's get everything out of the van, hm?"

Once they unloaded Dorothy's things into the front room, Matthew was instructed to bring certain bags to the bedroom and boxes to somewhere they could be stored a bit longer.

"The ensuite isn't quite finished, so we can store your extra things in there, for now," Matthew informed her, dutifully carrying boxes away. "Why don't you have a proper look around while I move these?"

Dorothy nodded hesitantly, hoping she'd be able to find nice things to say about the rest of the house. The sculpting station was to the right of the front door, while a den was on the left. Matthew had already set up bookshelves, a loveseat and a desk with a cheap computer. It felt cozy despite the horrible plastering work on the walls.

Unfortunately, the cheap, uneven plaster continued throughout the house, except in the bathroom, which had beige and light blue tiling. It wasn't the color scheme she would have chosen, but at least it wasn't the horrid beige plaster that was everywhere else. ' _How much of this did he do himself?_ ' she wondered.

The kitchen and dining area was bare, to say the least. There was very little counterspace and the appliances were ugly and cheap. The "dining table" was a flimsy wooden thing Dorothy would have hesitated to buy for an outdoor patio, and the chairs had a cheap thin fabric cushion that looked as though it might be more uncomfortable than a wooden seat.

Dorothy sighed and braced herself to face her fiancé as she headed towards the bedroom door. She knew he'd put a lot of work into building this home for them, but it was a lot rougher than she was expecting.

Matthew turned when she entered the room and opened his arms to offer her a hug.

"I know it's far from perfect," he said softly, brushing wisps of hair behind her ears. "I rushed and messed up the plaster, a lot of the materials I used were free or cheap, the kitchen isn't what I want it to be and our ensuite bathroom is an empty storage room at the moment… but I wanted to finish it quickly so we could move in as soon as possible. And I wanted to save as much money as I could since we have our wedding to think about and I'm not sure how regular our income will be for the first little while."

Dorothy smiled sympathetically and tightened her arms around his waist.

"It has a lot of potential," she said. "But the plaster is _really_ awful," she added with a laugh.

Matthew smiled and kissed her, moving one hand to the back of her neck and the other around her waist. Dorothy kissed him back, slipping her tongue between his lips and one hand under his belt. One thing led to another, and soon they were on the bed, tugging each other's clothes and slipping under the covers...

* * *

Dorothy's initial shock soon wore off, and the bleak conditions of her living situation began to sink in. _How could someone make new plaster crack as much as this? Why did he use plaster, anyway – wasn't drywall faster and easier? Why wasn't there more space to expand the kitchen? Why was it so difficult to clean the damn stove?!_

"Babe?" Matthew's voice interrupted her ranting train of thought. "You okay? Are the pancakes alright?"

Dorothy blinked and looked up from her breakfast plate. Matthew was sitting across from her, his eyebrows furrowed, his blue eyes shining with concern. They were both still wearing what they slept in: Matthew, a black t-shirt and blue boxer shorts; and Dorothy, a loose-fitting, cropped tank top and shorts both made of soft material that now felt all the more luxurious amidst her new reality of squalor.

"Yes, I'm fine," she feigned a smile.

As the weather got colder, everything felt more and more bleak. All the leaves abandoned their tree branches… A thin layer of snow covered the ground and the plants, stealing any chance of further harvests and the resulting income… Matthew nested in his 'office' writing some silly story or another…

' _What am I doing here?_ ' Dorothy wondered.

She considered calling her parents and asking for their advice, but she knew they didn't really care anymore. They'd given up on her long ago. Even while she still lived with them, they almost never spoke.

And Matthew, well… he was always so kind to her. So loving and affectionate… he _did_ make her happy. It was everything else about this place that was difficult for her. She could tell he was trying his best, too. To her surprise, she mostly blamed herself for the mess she now found herself in. She could have been more involved in planning their house. She could tell Matthew how she felt about the state of the place and they could invest a bit more in the house before the wedding. She knew he'd do almost anything to make her happy, so why couldn't she bring herself to ask? Or at least complain!

' _That damn hopeless romantic has made you soft,_ ' Dorothy told herself.

So, while Matthew collected his royalty checks and worked on his next novel, Dorothy mostly lazed around the house doing not much of anything, slowly sinking deeper into despair.

' _This is pathetic,_ ' she thought. ' _This isn't me._ '

Then it clicked. She had been so busy focusing on everything about the house that she didn't like that she lost sight of what she _wanted_. She smirked. How could she have forgotten how much joy thinking up mastermind plots used to give her? She would have to bide her time if she wanted to launch any maniacal schemes, though… the town was far too small for that just yet. In the mean time, she'd need another way to make money and build up a 'cover story' so that Matthew wouldn't get suspicious when the time came.

Dorothy walked into the front room and looked at the sculpting station again.

' _The pegboard looks like it could have stored medieval torture devices_ ,' she mused.

She walked up to it, examining the large block of clay sitting on the station's wheel. It was about 2 feet tall and maybe 4 feet wide. She thought on it a moment, then picked up the chisel and hammer from the pegboard, and started hacking away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Aria and Chase remained less sure of their aspirations. At least now they had a plan: after Chase finished high school and their house was ready, they'd move in together. Aria could focus on her music, composing, and gardening while Chase participated in the air force training program offered at the new base. Chase's father had not only ensured that Chase applied to the program, but also generously offered to arrange builders for their house after Chase's acceptance came in.

Until then, they wanted to enjoy their last year of being teenagers. Chase came over often to play music, chess, and just hang out with the three Tevellyn children who still lived there. Unlike Dorothy, Chase made a point to always greet "Mr. and Mrs. Tevellyn" when he first came in – a detail Bridget loved to highlight.

"So polite," she'd gush. "Such a nice young man, isn't he, Altman?"

One chilly Saturday, Aria and Chase were playing a new original song Aria had composed. It was taking them a while to get it to sound how she'd imagined in her head since she'd only made sheet music for the piano, but they were getting there.

"I think that was our best yet," she smiled at him over her shoulder. "Once more?"

Chase chuckled. "Short break?" he asked.

"Sure," Aria got up from her keyboard and stretched.

"After we get this, do you want to go skating?" Chase asked.

"Like, at the Falls?"

"Yeah," Chase shrugged. "Might be nice to get outside or whatever."

Aria gave him a suspicious look. "Okay, sure," she agreed.

After practicing the song a few more times, Aria and Chase bundled up in their winter gear and set out towards Cinnamon Crest Falls. Fluffy snowflakes drifted through the air, occasionally pushed by a sudden gust of wind. The sun hid behind some clouds, but the thick layer of snow on the ground was reflective enough that it still felt quite bright out.

When they reached the pond, Chase knelt and knocked on the ice.

Aria giggled, "It's been below freezing for days, I'm sure the ice is thick enough."

"Just checking."

"Uh huh," Aria smirked.

They put on their skates and stood up, but both hesitated to get on the ice.

Aria turned to Chase. "Why are we doing this?" she asked.

"It'll be fun," he smiled and reached a hand to her cheek. "You warm enough?" he asked softly.

She put her gloved hand on his. Her words were stuck in her throat, so she just smiled and nodded. ' _Is this a date?_ ' she wondered.

Chase lowered his hand and looked back at the ice. "Let's go then," he said cheerfully.

He moved onto the frozen pond and started gliding around. Aria hesitantly followed.

"I can't remember the last time I went skating," she told him.

"It'll come back to you. Just take it slow."

The longer they skated around, the more Aria noticed herself smiling. ' _This is kind of fun,_ ' she thought.

"Are you a natural at everything you try, Tevellyn?" Chase quipped.

"You know I'm not," Aria retorted.

Chase glided up to her. "You're having fun, though, right?"

Aria smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Getting pretty cold, though."

"Yeah, it'll be dark soon," Chase agreed. "You want to head back?"

"Sure," Aria shrugged.

Chase started to skate around her, but Aria reached out, took one of his hands and stopped him.

"Hey—" she began softly.

"You okay?" he asked, holding her other gloved hand as well.

"Why did you want to come out here today?" she asked timidly.

"What do you mean?" he smiled brightly. "It was fun, right?"

Aria shrugged again. "Yeah… I guess I just wondered if there was another reason."

Chase let go of her hands and ruffled her curly hair. "Dunno' what you mean, Tevellyn," he said, skating to the edge of the pond.

Aria sighed, then followed him to take off her skates. ' _So it wasn't a date,_ ' she concluded. ' _That's good, I guess. We're friends. I don't want us to mess things up._ '

* * *

Aria didn't have to spend as much energy on her housing plans as Emery and Matthew had thanks to the help of Chase's dad. As a result, she spent much of the spring teaching Ryker the ins and outs of the garden.

Now that Ryker was older and less interested in playing, Mason was left to entertain himself more. Besides playing chess, Mason spent time fishing, painting and exercising during the day, and reading and using his father's telescope in the evenings. At first he did a lot of whining for attention, but eventually he began to enjoy learning and exploring things more freely on his own.

* * *

Aria's nineteenth birthday approached as the weather cooled down again and the snow began to fall. The weather may have changed, but frustratingly, Chase's mixed signals had not. Aria struggled to figure out whether Chase was interested in being more than friends or not. To be fair, she was unsure of where she herself stood on that issue. But she thought it would be important to figure out before they moved in together.

Chase arrived at the Tevellyn house a few hours before Aria's party was scheduled to begin. Aria welcomed him and they sat on the couch, where Chase caught her up on his life the past couple weeks. He was finished school now; he'd successfully used his extra half-year to boost his grades up to his father's standards. His enrollment in the air force training program had been formally completed and he'd start in the summer cohort. He planned to commute from his parents' place until the house was done. Unfortunately, regarding the house, there had been some delays. Chase hoped to help things along by helping out the building crew from time to time when things picked up in the spring.

Aria loved when he got rambling. It didn't happen very often – they were both rather quiet and laid-back people – but when he was in a particularly good mood and had something to say, sometimes he'd talk at length. When he'd get so caught up talking about how something worked or what he'd been up to lately that he scarcely took a breath, she knew it was a sign that he was very comfortable with her.

"Wow, listen to me going on and on," Chase laughed. "Today's supposed to be about you!"

"No, that's okay, I like listening to you," Aria smiled.

"Yeah, yeah," Chase dismissed her response. "Let's get a photo then see if your mom wants any help getting things ready for the party."

Emery, Matthew and Dorothy arrived as scheduled. As per tradition, the family had some fun dancing before gathering around for the cake.

As Aria blew out her candles, she wished for clarity in her relationship with Chase. They were great friends, but she felt like deeper feelings lingered below the surface. Maybe she couldn't know how Chase felt, but she resolved to start thinking more about her own feelings and what she wanted from their relationship.

* * *

...

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ _Sim_ _ç_ _ais_ is my Sim world version of French, a play on _Fran_ _ç_ _ais_ in the same spirit of 'Simlish' as the Sim world equivalent of English.

In my original challenge gameplay, Matthew and Dorothy got married and Dorothy moved into the Tevellyn household prior to the couple moving out on their own to the ranch. For storytelling purposes, I moved them out in this chapter, and they'll get married in a future chapter.


	18. Chapter 17: Champs Les Sims (Part 1)

**Part One: _Bienvenue_**

Emery stirred as the taxi came to a stop. The sun was bright and harsh to her tired eyes. She'd fallen asleep on the long drive from the airport to the hostel where she'd be staying in Champs Les Sims. She blinked to see out the car window more clearly, and the large building came into focus. It was very old, but well cared for; despite its obvious age, the exterior did not look in need of any refurbishment. It was larger than Emery had expected, and she wondered what it was originally used for before it was converted into a hostel.

She paid the driver and thanked him as he helped her get her bag out of the taxi, then headed inside.

She was greeted by a member of the staff, an older woman with white and gray hair pulled back into a neat bun and thick, black rimmed glasses perched on her nose. "Bonjour, mademoiselle. Avez-vous une réservation?"

"Uh," Emery hesitated. "Oui, c'est une chambre pour Emery Tevellyn."

"Bien sûr," the woman smiled, checking the name on her computer. "Is Simlish preferred?"

Emery smiled sympathetically. "Yes, I'm afraid my Simçais isn't very good."

"Pas de problème," she replied. "I see you're staying for a few months? You 'ave a private room upstairs. I can show you."

The woman gracefully moved around her desk and leaned forward to greet Emery with a light kiss on each cheek. " _La bise_ ," she said. "'Ze traditional greeting 'ere. Welcome."

She picked up one of Emery's bags and headed towards the staircase. "My name is Claudine," she continued. "Let me know if you need any'zing while you are 'ere. It is a small town but still many 'zings to see and do."

They reached the top of the stairs and Claudine proceeded to a door part-way down the hall. She placed Emery's bag on the floor and unlocked the door.

"'Zis one will be yours," the elderly woman smiled. "It 'as a balcony. Simple but very nice, I 'zink… I'll let you get settled."

Claudine put the bag she carried into Emery's room, smiled at her once again, then headed back downstairs. Emery brought her second bag in and took a look around. The walls were a nice medium shade of blue with warm oak trim and a chair rail. The furniture looked older, but it was in good shape. Small pink roses adored the dresser and the bed's headboard. The bed spread had a black and white houndstooth pattern and sat atop white sheets with delicate black stripes. It was a simple room, but a nice one, as Claudine had said.

Emery stretched and yawned. She wasn't in the mood to unpack just yet – it might even put her back to sleep. She decided to explore the town and maybe find somewhere to get a cup of coffee. After refreshing her deodorant and saying thank you and _à bientôt_ to Claudine, she was back outside.

A large notice board in front of the hostel caught her eye. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it detailed local places of interest, classes and even temporary work opportunities. Among the flyers, she finally found one advertising a free Simçais class being offered nearby. The _LlamaLingo_ language learning app on her phone only got her so far; she wanted a more immersive experience if she could get it. She snapped a picture of the flyer with her phone and noted the name of the class' location: _Circle of Knowledge Bookstore_. She was a bit relieved that the course wasn't offered at a school; she'd never really been in a classroom before, so art school was going to be enough of an adjustment.

Emery took a deep breath and reminded herself she didn't need to have everything figured out on her first day here. She looked around. The hills reminded her a little of home, but the architecture was much different, and there were so many more houses! It wasn't at all like the photos of Bridgeport that Rukiya had showed her – it was exactly like the quaint photos of small European towns that she'd seen online. She smiled. She knew she'd get overwhelmed sometimes, but she could already tell that coming to Champs Les Sims was going to be a great experience for her.

Emery set off up the street towards the town's market square, admiring all the yellow brick and stucco walls, the terra cotta tile roofs and lead-framed windows along the way. A few of the homes along the way had small gardens planted with sweet smelling flowers. As she got closer, she could hear the low rumbles of conversations and a fountain from the square.

The sidewalk curved and opened to a beautiful stone courtyard. The buildings around it formed more of a circle than a square, but Emery was fairly certain that it was the 'town square' nonetheless. There was a large fountain on a raised platform in the centre, with shrubs, lavender bushes and blue hydrangeas in the garden beds around it. Some large trees shaded areas, complemented by a few smaller, more decorative trees. Benches faced the fountain while café tables with striped umbrellas were grouped at one side. Emery walked up to the fountain, practically swooning at the sight before her. She already loved this little town.

She looked around at the buildings, noting a camping supplier, souvenir shop and a bookstore. The latter might be 'Circle of Knowledge,' but she couldn't see a sign. Before checking, she had something more pressing on her mind. Emery turned around and saw what she was hoping for: a café.

A sandwich board out front explained this was The Catania Café and today's special was bouillabaisse. Emery wasn't sure what the local time was, but she hoped they had fresh coffee. She went inside and was greeted by a young man with shaggy brown hair.

"Bonjour. Je peux vous aider?"

"Oui, seulement un café s'il te plait," she replied.

He nodded and grabbed a mug from under the counter as he walked over to the coffee machine. Emery smiled at him as he returned with the cup, now full and steaming.

"Ten Simoleans, please," the man said.

Emery wondered why he switched to Simlish. Probably her accent. His tone wasn't impolite, so she decided to just smile and hand him the cash. He thanked her as she picked up the mug and took a seat by the window.

No other customers were in the café, but a few people milled around outside. A man who had been sitting alone at one of the tables near the fountain was now accompanied by a woman. Two children, a blonde boy and a girl with chin-length brown curls, left the bookstore and began playing. A woman in a green jacket was leaving the square. Emery watched them as she sipped her coffee. She enjoyed her solitude at home, but there was something charming about watching people going about their day – and not knowing who they were or their stories. She wondered if there were towns in SimNation that looked or felt like Champs Les Sims. It was so different from her reality in Appaloosa Plains, and yet, she felt at peace. Perhaps its quaintness made her feel that way; so far, even though it was a much livelier locale than her hometown, it didn't feel too busy or overwhelming.

After finishing her coffee, she stepped back outside and headed towards the bookstore. A blonde woman was inside and seemed to be helping a customer that Emery couldn't quite see. As she got to the door, Emery noticed a small noticeboard. ' _Événements au Cercle de la Connaissance_ ,' the largest poster read. Underneath was smaller text with the translation, ' _Events at Circle of Knowledge_.' A small calendar detailed when Simçais classes, book club meetings and a local author's reading event would take place over the month. Emery snapped a picture and glanced back into the store. The woman and customer were still chatting, but it was just as well. She had the schedule on her phone now, so there was no need to bother the attendant. She decided to leave the square and explore a bit more of the town.

Emery headed down the road opposite where she'd first entered the square. She planned to take the long way around instead of going straight back to the hostel. Much like home, trees were scattered alongside the roads and there was a lot of green space around the buildings. Emery turned left as she passed a manor house with a stone wall protecting their lavender bushes and yellow lilacs. Up ahead, she could see a white building that she recognized as her school: _École nationale supérieure d'art des Champs Les Sims_ – ENSA Champs for short.

Emotions swelled in her chest. _Her school_. She hadn't expected that it would make her emotional, but as she got closer and saw the little red pennants with the school's crest embroidered in gold, she found herself blinking away water from her eyes. She shook her head, dismissing any tears before they could form.

A black sign with modern white type displayed ' _ENSA Champs'_ over the front steps and the entrance. Two large windows on the side of the building had the school's full name in gold leaf lettering. A mix of traditional and modern paintings could be seen through the glass.

Emery poked her head around the outside and peered into the courtyard, but ultimately decided not to go in. She didn't see anyone at the desk, and she was already feeling tired again. ' _Best to head back to the hostel_ ,' she thought, and made her way there.

She greeted Claudine and went up to her room. She planned to unpack, but as she sat on the bed, she decided to rest her eyes for a moment first.

She woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. Wearily lifting her head, she saw it was bright outside – she wondered if she had slept through the night. Emery sat up and answered the phone.

"Hello?" she said sleepily.

"Emery! Thank goodness," her mother's voice exclaimed. "Did my messages go through? I started to worry when I hadn't heard from you."

"Sorry, mom, I was just tired and fell asleep," Emery mumbled. "I'm fine."

It sounded like Bridget was catching her breath. "That's alright. I'm just glad you're okay…. How's your room? Have you seen much else yet?"

"It's nice – the bed is comfy," she laughed. "I walked around a bit when I first arrived. The town square is the cutest thing. And all the buildings are beautiful."

They chatted a bit longer and eventually her father joined the conversation as well. He asked a lot of the same questions her mother had, but Emery didn't mind. Eventually her parents said they should get to bed, but they didn't get off the phone before repeatedly reminding her they loved her and to stay safe.

"I know, I know," Emery said with a smile. "I love you too. Don't worry so much. We'll talk soon."

After hanging up, she stretched and headed next door to the bathroom for a shower. Classes would start the following day, but she decided to go to the school to make sure everything was set up and maybe get a tour. She wanted to be prepared.

It was a beautiful day and Emery could see several people were milling about inside the ENAS Champs building. She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and walked up the front steps to the large wooden door.

' _Here goes nothing_.'

Like the hostel, the building was old but well cared for. The floors were a light-coloured parquet while the walls were covered in darker wood panels. The art on display in the window was on the left of the entrance and a large staircase was on the left, leaving little space for furniture. There was a single desk centred between the two archways that lead to a larger, brighter room ahead. At the desk sat a thin, dark-haired woman with bold red lipstick and a patterned cardigan, tapping away at a computer.

"Bonjour," she said without looking away from her screen. "Vous êtes une nouvelle étudiante?"

"Oui," Emery replied quietly. She paused a moment as she tried to translate her requests in her head. "Je voulais vérifier mon inscription, et peut-être avoir une tournée?"

"Your name?" the woman asked, switching to Simlish. Emery wondered how bad her accent was, or if she'd made a mistake.

"Emery Tevellyn."

"Bien…" she muttered, tapping several keys. "Yes, you are enrolled. Everything looks good."

She finally looked up from her computer and gave Emery a small smile. "Your classes will start tomorrow, but I can show you around now, if you want?"

Emery smiled and nodded. "That would be great, thank you."

She stood up and walked towards the archway on the right. Emery liked her outfit more now that she could see the whole thing; a clean white skirt and dark blue blouse helped offset the loud yellow pattern on the woman's cardigan. The ensemble was still too bold a choice for Emery, but the French woman pulled it off nicely on her small frame.

She jumped right into the tour. "'Zis is 'ze main common area. Students can relax 'ere, socialize, read… 'ze fridge is shared with all students and staff, so please be respectful of 'zat…."

They walked past a few couches and bookshelves, a dining table where students were chatting over a pizza, and a small kitchenette. Turning down the hallway, they passed two rooms with tables, chairs and white boards that had glass doors and large windows along both the hallway and the outer wall, allowing light to pour through from outside. The rooms had clearly been more recently renovated than the previous part of the building. As they continued, Emery saw that most of the original interior doors had been replaced with more modern glass ones.

The woman continued narrating the tour with an unenthusiastic tone. "You can use 'zese meeting rooms if you 'ave any group projects or presentations to make. We also use 'zem for staff meetings and 'zings like 'zat. Down 'ere is 'ze 'eadmaster's and some professors' offices. 'zere are more upstairs. At 'ze end is one of your main classrooms. We ask you do not use 'zose easels outside of class time. Instead 'zere are workrooms upstairs for independent study."

"Any questions?" the woman asked, turning to Emery.

"Um, I guess not? Not yet, anyway," she answered.

"Bien. My name is Annette, if you 'ave questions later or need information about your tuition or fees. Feel free to 'ave a look around upstairs at the workrooms before you go. We'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Annette offered a curt smile and walked back down the hallway. Emery wondered if the tours always only included the first floor or if Annette was just busy or having a bad day. Still, she was optimistic about school. It _felt_ like an art school – it was a beautiful combination of old elegance and modern chic. Emery peered through the glass door into the classroom, noting that there were just five easels and an area for supplies and cleaning up.

Emery took Annette's suggestion to look around upstairs. It quickly became clear that she would have to go back down the same staircase to get back to the front doors and access the rest of the second storey – it was split into two parts. Emery guessed that where she was now had once been a separate building that was connected later. The hall she had just entered had a row of lockers and some beautiful spray-painted pieces on display, as well as a small bulletin board. Through the glass door was a large classroom with tables covered in canvasses and painting supplies. Half of the room's floor was vinyl tile instead of the wood that dominated the rest of the school; she guessed it was for easier cleaning – spray paint cans and stencils were scattered around.

Emery walked back around to the front hall and smiled politely as she passed Annette's desk. Up the main staircase was a hall that lead to two offices and two workrooms: the first was small with three drafting tables and some supplies in the corner, while the second had larger work tables, two easels, more supplies and a wash-up area.

Emery left the little campus still optimistic. It was hard not to be, when she looked around her. She continued to wonder how a place so different from her home could still feel so familiar and comfortable. She still felt nervous whenever she had to speak Simçais, but she understood most of what she'd heard people say so far, which reassured her that the language would come with time. She looked forward to her language classes and wondered what they'd be like. Probably a bit more like 'real' school than ENAS Champs, she thought.

She spent the evening at the hostel. After preparing herself some dinner, she picked a book from one of the shelves in the living room and went upstairs. As much as she enjoyed Champs Les Sims, Emery had to admit that this experience was a lot to process. Her father had reminded her to take time to herself to recharge, and as he often did, he recommended sitting down with a book. Entering her room, she finally noticed just how spectacular a view she had. Above the trees and against a purple sky, the Eiffel Tower stood in the distance, glowing gold and white. She'd noticed that she could see the tower from her window, of course – but it was a detail that had initially been lost among the other thousand new things she was experiencing in her first few days in France. Now that she took a moment to look at it in the evening light, she realized how beautiful it was and how lucky she was to have such a view. She smiled to herself and got comfortable on the bed. She looked out the window again as she opened her book. She wanted to remember the colours and the lighting to paint that scene later, but she suspected she'd never quite capture its true beauty.

* * *

Emery arrived at school the next day dressed in her painting clothes, eager to get started. The building was much busier, with students chatting and coming in and out. Annette wasn't at her desk, but Emery noticed a man come down the stairs whom she recognized from one of the professor's offices the day before.

"Excusez moi," Emery said quietly as she approached the man. "Est-ce que vous êtes un professeur?"

"Yes I am," he replied. He had an accent, but it was much less pronounced than Annette's and Claudine's. Emery was confident she hadn't made any mistakes with her question, so he must have switched to Simlish based on her own accent. Hopefully some language classes would help with her pronunciation.

"Do you know where the fine arts class is this morning? Is it the classroom here on the main floor?" Emery asked.

"Ah," he smiled. "I'm _your_ professor. We will have class upstairs, today, actually."

He turned towards the other students in the room and spoke loudly to the group, "Bonjour. Hello, good morning. Les étudiants en beaux-arts peuvent me suivre. Fine arts students – follow me."

The professor began walking up the stairs and continued to speak, "Je suis votre professeur, mais vous pouvez m'appeler Étienne. La première semaine de cours, j'aime voir les compétences de mes étudiants avec différents médiums. Aujourd'hui, nous allons commencer avec le dessin."

He stopped in front of a workroom door, which Emery remembered had drafting tables inside. Before opening the door, the professor turned to the students once again. "For those better with Simlish, don't worry," he said. "Please ask if I forget to translate or you have questions. I'm your professor, but you can call me Étienne. The first week of classes, I like to see my students' skills with different mediums. Today we will start with drawing."

Étienne opened the glass door and ushered the students inside. There were only three drafting tables in the small workroom. He surveyed the group briefly, then motioned for Emery, a young Asian woman and one of the two white men in the class to walk farther in. "You three will work in this room. You all prefer Simlish, yes?" He paused to observe their nods of agreement, then turned to the other students. "Le reste viendra dans la pièce suivante dans un instant."

Before guiding the others to the next room, Étienne showed Emery's group where the supplies were and explained that he wanted them to first produce a piece using pencil or ink, followed by a second with charcoal, conté or pastels. He promised to return in a moment, then lead the remaining students out the door.

The three Simlish-speaking students looked through and selected their supplies, then each sat at a desk. Emery was nervous. It had been a while since she'd really practiced drawing; she felt much more comfortable with a brush and rarely sketched out her work beforehand. She looked at the paper in front of her with a furrowed brow, took a deep breath, and decided to jump right in.

Emery wasn't satisfied with what she drew, especially compared to the girl next to her. The young Asian woman seemed comfortable and happy throughout the exercise, her pencil practically dancing across the page. Her shading work was extraordinary and the piece looked very polished after an hour. Emery's, on the other hand, still looked like it might be a sketch. Her afternoon's work with pastels wasn't much better.

Luckily, painting was next. Over the next few days, the students were to create a piece with watercolour or gouache, another with oils, and either a second one of those, an acrylic, an ink wash, or some combination. Emery decided to paint a somber image of the school's courtyard fountain with gouache and a brighter abstract piece with oils. She would wait to decide on the third piece based on her professor's feedback over the first couple days.

Emery was surprised to find it was tiring for her to work this way. She wasn't used to managing her time so closely and thinking about showcasing different skills through her work. Usually, she was proud of her art as an expression of her creativity and her ability to translate an idea in her head into a beautiful image on a canvas. Still, she knew that was the point of coming here: to challenge herself, to learn, and to ultimately become a better artist.

She also wanted to improve her Simçais. Even though it had been a long week, Emery was determined to attend one more class. She got dressed and enjoyed the fresh air on her balcony while she called her parents to tell them about her week. The Simçais class at the bookstore was a convenient 'out' to keep the conversation to a reasonable length.

She walked over to Circle of Knowledge and was greeted by the shopkeeper, a golden-haired, middle-aged woman who introduced herself as Estelle Fouchier.

"'Ze o'zer student is already waiting upstairs," Estelle said warmly, gesturing for Emery to follow as she walked over to the staircase.

The other student was a young woman with ash blonde hair that paled in comparison to Estelle's rich golden locks. Her dress pants and striped blouse suggested she worked in an office, but she also wore a jean jacket and a black bowler hat, so Emery didn't want to assume.

"I'm Ali," the girl smiled.

"Emery."

"Please, sit down," Estelle said kindly. "Why don't you each share where you are from and whether you speak any Simçais?"

The three women each took a seat around the long antique table near the middle of the room. Ali explained she was from SimNation, but was visiting France from the Netherlands, where she was doing an internship. She had just arrived in Champs Les Sims that morning and thought it might be nice to start her visit with a language class to learn some basics that could help her with her travels. Emery noted she was also from SimNation, but knew a little Simçais already and was hoping to improve her pronunciation and get more comfortable with conversations.

Estelle thanked them for coming and picked up one of the books on the table. She flipped through the pages looking for a specific section, then passed it to Ali.

"'Zis section will 'elp you get started with 'ze basics," Estelle explained. "Please read it first and 'zen I will go over it with you and we can practice."

Ali nodded and Estelle turned her attention to Emery, "Peut-être on peut pratiquer maintenant?"

"Oui, c'est bon," Emery smiled.

"Qu'est-ce qui t'amène?"

* * *

Living at the hostel was another thing Emery had to get used to. There were new people around all the time, and most were gone as quickly as they'd come. She felt like she was always cleaning the kitchen before she could cook in it even though a staff person came through to clean everything each day.

Sometimes the travellers' company was nice. She met so many people that she learned to ask how long they'd be in town and stopped worrying about remembering too many details about the ones who were only visiting for a night or a weekend. They came from all over – SimNation, Egypt, China – and most spoke at least a little Simlish.

As much as she liked Champs Les Sims, sometimes she missed home and her family. Some of the stranger hostel guests made her especially grateful that she had somewhere she loved to go back to when she finished school.

Emery also got to know some of her classmates. Ezekiel, who was from Africa, and Gabriel, who was from elsewhere in France, were both in the Simçais-speaking section but spoke a little Simlish and were very social with other students. Emery often saw them at the café in the mornings. She also met another student there on Saturdays before her Simçais classes. While tourists sometimes came to one or two classes, Amelia went at least once a week like Emery did. Amelia was from England and had more tattoos than anyone Emery had ever met. When she admitted that to her, it made Amelia laugh. "This is nothing," she'd said with a grin. "I'm not even half done."

Amelia's Simçais was a similar level to Emery's, so sometimes Estelle would give them something to practice in conversation while she worked with another student. Emery could very clearly remember the first time Amelia referred to her as a friend. Amelia seemed so _cool_ with her tattoos and her punk style that Emery was happily surprised to be considered cool enough to be her friend.

On her fellow students' recommendation, Emery made a trip to the local nectary after Simçais class one Saturday. It was quite far from the town square and the hostel, but it was a beautiful property with flagstone paths, a fountain surrounded in flower bushes, and of course, the vineyard.

Emery practiced her Simçais with the sommelier who was working there, Gaston Dutiel. She learned about his family and was even invited to join them for dinner some time! For the moment, though, he recommended she take a look around and then rejoin him at the bar to try some samples and learn about how they made nectar.

Emery took his advice and went through the large wrought iron gate to the nectar-making area of the building. The walls and floor were all stone, worn from their age. She walked forward and noticed someone was removing nectar bottles from one of the machines. It was a woman with short black hair who was maybe a little older than Emery, wearing dark jeans and a black vest over a lilac-coloured tank top.

The woman turned and noticed Emery was watching her. "Is 'zere some'zing you need?" she asked.

Her dark makeup accentuated her angular features. From her tone and the jewelry and rips in her jeans that Emery could now see, she looked like she had a bit of attitude.

"Um, no, sorry, I was just looking around," Emery replied.

The woman walked through the gate and stood in front of Emery, who didn't know what to say.

"Your first time at 'ze nectary?" the Frenchwoman asked. Emery nodded. "Are you a tourist?"

"Well, sort of…" Emery said. "I'm an art student here."

The woman paused a moment, then said, "I'm Colette."

"Emery," she replied with a sigh of relief.

"You were so nervous," Colette laughed softly. "Don't worry, mon chou, I won't bite."

"I know 'zis place well," she continued. "Do you want me to show you around?"

Emery smiled awkwardly and hesitantly agreed. She was glad she did. Colette _did_ know the nectary well and taught Emery a lot about the art of nectar making as they walked around the building past the large machines and numerous barrels.

"It iz a passion," she explained. "My sister and I, we learned from our parents. Our maman grew grapes and papa made 'zem into nectar."

"And now you do, too?" Emery asked with a smile.

"I—how you say—dabble? Mostly I 'elp Gaston sell 'is nectars to restaurants. My sister and I are not very good at growing 'ze grapes," Colette laughed.

"Well, I don't know anything about nectar, but I'm a pretty good gardener," Emery smiled.

"Maybe we can teach eacho'zer sometime."

"I'd like that."

Colette ended the tour outside, pointing out the fruit trees. "Apples are very good for nectar, and sometimes a hint of o'zer fruits like lime, plum or cherry is good, too."

The two women stood in silence a moment, looking out at the trees, flowers and night sky. It was quiet except for a few crickets and the sound of the fountain gurgling in the garden.

"The stars here remind me of home," Emery said quietly. "And the open space… just trees and grassy hills for miles…"

Colette gave her a small smile. "I should get 'ome," she said softly. "It was very nice to meet you, Emery."

"Thanks for showing me around. It was lovely."

Colette nodded and walked away into the dark, her footfalls fading into the quiet of the night. It wasn't until Emery was alone for a moment that she realized she hadn't gotten her phone number or even her last name.

* * *

...

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes:_** Apologies for the long hiatus! This is my first 2-part chapter - it took a long time to shoot and write. It was difficult to stay motivated to finish it, but I didn't want to publish something before it was how I wanted. (Plus, you know, real life always gets in the way ;-) .)

Since Emery did normal 'World Adventures' things in my original play-through to gain points towards a higher Visa, I had to stage almost this entire chapter. I also really wanted to show her in art school, taking language classes and building new relationships since I think these are important character development points for her.

All of the 'Townie Sims' that Emery met in this chapter were ones she met in my original play-through, but all of the students, Annette (the school administrator) and Professor Étienne were created for story-telling purposes.

 _Simçais_ is my Sim world version of French, a play on _Français_ in the same spirit of 'Simlish' as the Sim world equivalent of English. Since the game specifies that Champs Les Sims is in France, I kept the country name and the word 'French' for cultural descriptors (e.g. I say "French accent" rather than "Simçais accent").

As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


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